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NZB7 


IC-NRLF 


177 


WITH    THE   COMPLIMENTS  OF 


THE  AUTHOR. 

£>rrtt 

•  SM  </U,. 


INDIAN 


LOCAL  NAMES, 


WITH 


THEIE    INTERPRETATION. 


By    STEPHEN    G.    BOYD. 


YORK,  PA.  : 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR: 
1885. 


COPYRIGHT   SECURED   BY 
STEPHEN   G.  BOYD. 
1885. 


INQUIRER  PRINTING  Co.. 
LANCASTER,  PA. 


TO  THE  COMMON  SCHOOL  TEACHERS, 

A    CLASS    WHOSE     DUTIES    ARE 

ARDUOUS  AND  OFTEN  PAINFUL, 

AND   WHOSE    LABORS    ARE 
RARELY    APPRECIATED    OR    ADEQUATELY    COMPENSATED, 

THIS    LITTLE    BOOK, 

WITH    THE    HOPE 

THAT    IT    MAY    OCCASIONALLY    DROP   A    FLOWER    IN    THEIR 
PATHWAY,    IS    AFFECTIONATELY    DEDICATED    BY 

THE    AUTHOR, 


M122954 


PREFACE. 


WHILST  engaged  in  teaching  many  years  ago,  I  became  impressed  with  the 
idea  that  the  signification  of  local  names  might  be  used  by  teachers  not 
only  in  imparting  in  many  cases  a  better  idea  of  the  object  named,  but  also 
in  enlivening  the  too  frequently  dull  monotony  of  class  recitation. 

With  this  impression,  I  commenced  the  collection  of  the  signification  of 
local  names,  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  of  all  classes  and  in  all  languages. 
Of  course  the  work  progressed  slowly,  especially  as  I  rejected  all  definitions 
known  to  be  merely  conjectural  in  their  character,  and  received  even  tradi 
tional  ones  with  extreme  caution. 

As  the  work  progressed,  however,  my  interest  in  the  subject  increased,  and 
in  order  to  avail  myself  of  the  very  best  authority  on  the  subject  in  the  Eng 
lish  language,  I  even  ordered  for  my  library  from  England  during  the  Civil 
War,  when  the  rate  of  exchange  was  well  nigh  at  its  highest  point. 

Some  years  subsequent  to  this,  whilst  spending  some  months  in  Harrisburg, 
Pa.,  in  a  position  which  gave  me  free  use  of  the  State  library,  I  procured 
from  its  shelves  the  nucleus  of  my  present  collection  of  Indian  names. 

It  was  no  part  of  my  purpose  at  the  outstart  to  collect  material  for  publica 
tion,  but  such  has  been  the  pleasure  derived  from  the  study  of  the  subject, 
and  such  the  evident  advantage  of  a  knowledge  of  the  signification  of  local 
names,  not  only  to  the  teacher,  but  to  all  persons  making  any  pretensions  to 
culture,  indeed  even  to  casual  readers  of  the  current  literature  of  the  day 
that  I  have  concluded  to  publish  the  result  of  my  labors,  especially  as,  so  far 
as  known  to  me,  the  matter  I  have  on  hand  is  not  now  within  reach  of  the  public 
in  any  practical  form,  but  scattered  through  many  volumes,  and  much  of  it 
indeed,  especially  that  relating  to  Indian  names,  not  in  print  at  all. 

Upon  concluding  to  publish  my  collection,  my  first  thought  was  to  print  it 
all  in  one  volume,  merely  placing  the  Indian  names  in  a  separate  vocabulary, 
for  greater  convenience  of  reference.  As  the  subject  of  local  names  in  gen 
eral,  however,  is  a  very  broad  and  instructive  one,  from  the  study  of  which 
can  be  learned  not  only  very  much  concerning  the  object  named,  but  also 
much  of  the  history  and  peculiarities  of  different  peoples,  and  as  I  have  not 
now  the  time,  nor  all  the  data  desirable,  to  enable  me  to  bring  to  press 
my  contemplated  work  on  local  names  in  general,  and  as  the  present  seems 
as  well  suited  for  the  introduction  of  the  Indian  names  to  the  public,  as  any 
future  period  is  likely  to  be,  I  have  concluded  to  publish  my  Indian  collec 
tion  separately,  and  without  further  delay,  hoping  to  be  able  to  put  the  other 
work  through  the  press  during  the  coming  year. 

(v) 


VI  PREFACE. 

In  presenting  this  matter  to  the  public,  and  especially  to  teachers,  it  is 
due  to  all  parties  to  say,  I  I  ave  acted  merely  the  part  of  a  compiler — I  hope  a 
careful  one.  But  whilst  this  has  been  all  it  was  in  my  power  to  do,  I  can 
safely  say  I  have  spared  no  labor  or  pains  to  obtain  my  information  from  the 
most  reliable  sources. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  work,  I  have  availed  myself  of  the  writings  of 
Schoolcraft,  Rev.  John  Heckewelder,  Hon.  J.  II.  Turnbull  of  Hartford, 
Conn.,  Hon.  Albert  Gallatin,  Hon.  Albert  G.  Gatschet  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau 
of  Ethnography,  L.  H.  Morgan,  Esq  ,  Wm.  C.  Reichel,  Esq.,  and  others, 
and  I  acknowledge  myself  greatly  indebted  for  personal  aid  to  Judge  G.  W. 
Stidham  of  Eufala,  I.  T.,  N.  T.  True,  Esq.,  of  Bethel,  Me.,  J.  K.  Simms, 
Esq.,  of  Fort  Plain,  N.  Y.,  Rev.  S.  G.  Wright  of  Leech  Lake,  Minn.,  Rev. 
Thomas  S.  Williamson  of  St.  Peter's,  Minn.,  and  Rev.  J.  Ross  Ramsey  of 
Wewoka,  I.  Ty. 

Notwithstanding  the  compiler  has  exercised  every  reasonable  precaution  to 
insure  accuracy,  he  cannot  hope  his  little  work  is  free  from  errors.  Whilst 
he  freely  admits  that  a  knowledge  of  the  score  or  more  of  Indian  languages 
and  dialects  of  languages  from  which  those  words  are  derived,  would  have 
enabled  him  to  avoid  errors  into  which  he  may  have  fallen,  he  is  nevertheless 
impressed  with  the  thought  that  if  we  wait  for  a  work  of  this  kind,  until  some 
one  acquainted  with  all  those  languages  shall  write  it,  this  generation  will 
have  passed  away  before  such  an  event  is  likely  to  happen,  since  he  knows  of 
no  one  now  living  familiar  with  more  than  three  or  four  of  them.  As  before 
stated,  he  has  sought  the  very  best  sources  of  information,  both  in  books  and 
in  living  persons,  and  has  compiled  the  work  with  all  possible  care,  rejecting 
many  words,  the  definitions  of  which  were  not  well  authenticated/. 

Having  done  this,  he  commits  his  little  volume  to  the  public  with  the  hope 
that  it  may  not  only  afford  entertainment  and  instruction  to  its  readers,  but 
that  it  will  awaken  a  deeper  interest  in  the  subject  of  which  it  treats,  and  in 
the  history,  habits  and  manners  of  the  aboriginal  races  of  America. 

S.  G.  B. 


INTRODUCTION. 


SCATTERED  all  over  our  continent  are  to  be  found  scores  upon 
scores  of  local  names  standing  as  silent  but  most  eloquent  memorials 
of  the  previous  existence  of  aboriginal  races  which  will  return  to 
dwell  among  us  no  more  forever. 

To  all  appearances  those  names  are  almost  as  imperishable  as  the 
objects  to  which  they  are  attached,  and  whilst  the  sweet  melody  of 
their  sounds  is  the  subject  of  unceasing  admiration,  their  signifi 
cation  though  known  to  comparatively  few  persons,  are  no  less 
entitled  to  the  attention  of  those  who  admire  the  exercise  of  good 
judgment  in  the  practical  affairs  of  life,  and  the  beautiful  in  thought 
and  sentiment. 

Possibly  in  those  particulars  the  Indian  local  names  in  Ameri 
ca,  as  given  by  themselves,  will  compare  favorably  with  those  given 
by  any  other  people  in  any  country  or  at  any  known  period  of  the 
world's  history. 

To  bring  into  clearer  relief  some  of  those  characteristics  of  our 
aboriginal  races,  as  illustrated  in  their  local  nomenclature,  as  well 
as  to  give  greater  zest  to  the  study  of  our  local  history  and  geogra 
phy,  is  the  chief  purpose  of  this  compilation. 

Whilst  the  writer  fully  recognizes  the  very  great  value  of  treatises 
on  the  grammatical  structure  of  our  Indian  languages,  for  several 
reasons  he  has  not  deemed  it  proper  to  introduce  matter  of  that 
character  into  those  pages.  He  rather  recognizes  the  fact  that 
whilst  such  works  are  well  suited  to  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  few 
who  have  the  time  and  inclination  for  extended  research  into  the 
grammatical  forms  and  etymological  peculiarities  and  <  haracteristics 
of  those  languages  and  their  very  numerous  dialects,  the  masses 
must  be  content  with  a  knowledge  merely  of  the  signification  of 
the  local  names  scattered  so  profusely  around  them,  and  with  which 
they  are  brought  into*  daily  contact. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  present  work,  my  purpose  has  been  to 
produce  as  large  a  collection  as  possible  of  those  names  with  their 
signification,  stripped  of  all  dispensable  verbiage. 

Somewhat  singular  as  it  may  appear,  I  have  striven  to  make  a 
small  book  ra'her  than  a  large  one. 

The  book  having  been  intended  for  convenient  referenc,  nothing 
has  been  incorporated  in  it  that  conld  possibly  be  dispensed  with. 

True  in  many  cases  remarks  more  or  less  extended  might  have 

(vii) 


Vlll  INTRODUCTION. 

been  added  to  definitions,  and  innumerable  foot  notes  could  have 
been  added  to  swell  the  size  and  increase  the  cost  of  the  work, 
neither  of  which  it  was  desirable  to  do,  especially  not  the  latter,  as 
I  wish  to  place  it  within  reach  of  every  one  interested  in  the  sub 
ject  to  which  it  relates. 

It  will  be  seen  that  in  some  cases  two  and  sometimes  even  three 
definitions  are  given  to  a  word.  In  most  cases  these  have  been 
obtained  from  entirely  different  sources,  each  entitled  to  more  or 
less  credit,  and  may  arise  from  a  misappehension  of  the  origin  of 
the  word,  owing  to  the  very  great  phonetic  corruption  which  has 
taken  place,  or  from  translating  from  a  different  dialect,  or  in 
cases  of  great  similarity  of  elementary  sounds  from  translating 
from  a  root  found  in  another  language  altogether,  which  would  not 
only  change  the  shade  of  meaning,  but  give  an  entirely  different 
signification. 

In  many  instances,  too,  when  doubts  existed  as  to  the  correct 
ness  of  a  definition,  it  has  been  so  worded  as  to  caution  the  reader 
against  its  unqualified  acceptance. 

Whilst  there  might  have  been  included  in  this  connection  with 
out  impropriety  some  remarks  on  the  geograpical  distribution  of 
the  different  Indian  families  whose  local  names  appear  in  those 
pages,  the  writer  is  free  to  admit  that  no  matter  how  ably  written 
such  an  article  might  be,  the  maps  on  this  subject,  now  found  in 
nearly  every  school  history  of  the  United  States,  will  give  a  much 
better  idea  of  the  geograpical  position  of  those  families  and  tribes 
than  any  mere  verbal  description  can  possibly  do. 

Moreover,  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  duplicate  in  this  work  infor 
mation  within  easy  reach  elsewhere. 

It  will  be  seen,  too,  I  have  in  many  cases  seemingly  departed 
from  the  correct  orthography  of  words  defined. 

In  those  cases  I  have  merely  given  the  orthography  of  an  earlier 
day,  or  the  orthography  of  the  original  translators,  some  of  whom 
are  alluded  to  in  the  preface.  Even  Mr.  Gatschet,  recently  trans 
lating  names  in  the  Gulf  States,  departs  widely  from  the  orthogra 
phy  found  there. 

Although  I  have  mainly  followed  the  orthography  of  the  present, 
fearing,  unless  I  did  so,  the  names  in  many  cases  could  not  be  iden 
tified  with  the  present  ones,  there  are  very  good  reasons  why  the 
original  orthography  should  be  retained.  The  fact  is  we  are  fast 
drifting  away,  by  phonetic  corruption,  from  those  beautiful  Indian 
words,  and  the  time  may  come  when  many  of  the  names  standing 
for  those  given  by  the  aborigines  will  contain  hardly  one  sound 
embraced  in  the  original  word  ;  in  which  case  those  words  could 
no  longer  be  traced  to  their  origin,  by  their  phonetic  elements. 
Were  it  of  any  avail,  we  would  say  stop  this  mutilation.  But  it  goes 
on,  and  will  continue  to  go  on  until  the  last  element  of  the  original 
word,  like  the  last  remnant  of  the  race  that  used  it,  shall  have 
forever  departed. 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

Already  whilst  many  words  like  Paxton,  Port  Tobacco  and  Yel 
low  Breeches  have  metamorphosed  so  completely  their  origin  would 
not  be  suspected,  others  are  following  in  their  train  to  hasten  the 
time  when  the  English  tongue  giving  forth  purely  English  sounds, 
onlv,  shall  encircle  the  globe. 

Nothing  is  more  evident  than  that  all  Indian  local  names  have,  or 
had  a  signification,  and  that  in  m  >st  case^  those  names  were  given 
with  rare  good  judgment ;  at  any  rate,  that  they  exercised  quite  as 
much  judgment  and  good  taste  in  such  matters  as  did  any  of  the 
races  in  Europe  or  Asia  in  former  times.  A  very  large  majority  of 
their  names  convey  an  idea  of  some  property,  quality  or  character 
istic  of  the  object  named,  and  not  a  few  are  commemorative  of 
events  which  took  place  at  or  near  the  object,  to  which  the  names 
belong,  and  therefore  may  be  said  to  be  historical  in  their  char 
acter.  Whilst,  however,  the  Indians  frequently  embalm  events  in 
their  local  names,  they  rarely  honor  their  great  men  by  giving 
their  names  to  geographical  objects,  differing  in  this  particular  very 
greatly  from  our  own  people  ;  and  they  quite  as  rarely  manifest  any 
religious  sentiment  or  predilection  in  their  local  names. 

Nor  did  they  often  give  names  having  a  metaphorical  rather  than 
a  literal  meaning.  True  they  bestowed  such  beautiful  names  as 
Minnehaha  and  Suwanee,  but  they  were  descriptions  of  what  was 
real  in  nature. 

This  circumstance  would  seem  to  indicate  that  they  were  not  an 
imaginative  people,  notwithstanding  many  of  their  great  men  have 
been  noted  for  their  eloquence.  Judging,  too,  from  their  names, 
we  should  think  they  were  rather  grave  than  gay,  although  several 
of  those  names  record  their  places  of  drinking  and  feasting. 

What  strikes  us  very  forcibly,  is  the  uniformity,  in  character,  of 
their  nam<?s  over  the  entire  area  of  our  continent,  from  which  we 
must  infer  about  the  same  degree  of  intellectual  development,  if 
not  indeed  great  similarity  in  mental  characteristics.  No  one  sec 
tion  seems  to  show  more  intellectual  culture  than  another,  or  more 
fancy,  or  more  of  the  aesthetic  element,  or  more  religious  veneration, 
or  more  of  the  sentiment  of  patriotism. 

Whilst  comparatively  little  of  their  history  prior  to  the  arrival  of 
Europeans  can  be  learned  from  their  local  names,  mainly  because 
they  were  destitute  of  letters,  they  prove  unerring  landmarks  in 
determining  the  territorial  limits  not  only  of  different  families,  but 
very  often  of  different  tribes  of  the  same  family,  since  many  tribes 
had  dialects  of  their  own. 

I  need  hardly  say  the  Indians  are  not  responsible  for  the  very 
free  use  which  has  been  made  of  their  local  nomenclature  by 
European  settlers  in  this  country,  who  have  been  using  them  with 
out  any  regard  whatever  to  their  signification — rivers  taking  the 
names  of  mountains,  and  mountains  of  rivers,  and  the  names  of  both 
given  to  cities,  towns,  political  divisions,  post-offices,  and  corner 
groceries.  Nor  are  they  responsible  for  the  transplanting  of  those 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

names  to  localities  where  they  could  not  possibly  have  been  pro 
nounced  by  the  indeginous  population. 

It  is  to  be  deeply  regretted  that  the  signification  of  so  many  of 
those  names  are  lost,  we  fear  beyond  all  hope  of  recovery.  Inde 
pendent  of  the  very  great  change,  phonetically,  which  many  words 
have  undergone,  where  idiomatic  constructions  occur  even  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  language  will  not  always  insure  a  correct  trans 
lation.  This  being  the  case,  it  is  all-important  that  those  transla 
tions  be  made  whilst  the  Indian  is  yet  a  living  language. 

Indeed,  even  now  some  of  those  dialects  are  unknown  to  their 
few  mongrel  descendants.  But  much  can  yet  be  done  to  save  our 
rich  Indian  nomenclature  from  oblivion,  especially  if  it  be  quickly 
done. 

It  will  be  seen  I  have  appended  a  few  words  to  the  general  vo 
cabulary.  These  were  not  obtained  in  time  for  insertion  in  their 
proper  place.  They  have  been  procured  mainly  from  Mr.  Morgan's 
League  of  the  Iriquois,  a  work  now  out  of  print,  but  richly  entitled 
to  republication. 

I  have  also  included  in  this  volume  in  a  miscellaneous  vocabulary 
a  few  words  from  my  coming  work  on  local  names  in  general, 
selecting  mainly  from  those  which  I  have  not  seen  published  in  any 
work  easily  accessible  to  the  general  reader. 


VOCABULARY, 


A. 

ABAQUA'GE  ;  i.  e.,  "a  flaggy  meadow:"  the  name  of  a  pond  in 
Conn.,  near  the  source  of  Little  River. 

ABENA'KES,  ABANA'KEK,  or  ABENA'KISS,  wabanung — the  east,  or 
place  of  light,  and  akee — land  ;  i,  e.,  "  the  east  land";  the  name 
given  to  a  large  tribe  of  Indians,  formerly  inhabiting  the  extreme 
northeastern  part  of  the  U.  S. 

ABRIGA'DA,  abrigaut ;  i.  e.,  "shelter,"  "hiding-place;"  the 
name  of  a  hill  in  Waterbury,  Conn.,  having  on  its  side  a  deep 
cavern-like  cliff  called  "the  Indian  house;"  whence  the  name. 

ABSF/CON,  ABSE'CUM,  wabisee — a  swan,  and  ong  for  ink — place; 
i.  e.,  "  the  place  of  the  swan;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  New  Jersey. 

ABWOI'NA,  or  ABWOINAC,  abwoin — a  Sioux,  and  akee — land ;  i.  e., 
"  the  land  of  the  Sioux ;  a  term  formerly  applied  in  a  general  way 
to  the  country  lying  between  the  Miss,  and  the  Mo.  rivers,  and 
north  of  the  St.  Peters  river,  formerly  occupied  by  the  Sioux. 

AC'COMAC,  acaiun-anke ;  i.  e.,  "on  the  other  side,"  or  "the 
other  side  land  ;"  the  name  of  a  peninsula  east  of  Chesapeake  Bay. 
This  name  was  given  by  the  Nanticoke  Indians.  Other  authorities 
say  the  word  is  derived  from  aco — limit,  auk — wood,  and  alike  e — 
land,  and  means,  "  the  limit  of  the  wood-land." 

ACE'YEDAN;  i.  e.,  "  place  of  weeping  ;"  so  called  by  the  Dakotah 
Indians,  because  of  weeping  there  the  death  of  some  of  their  rela 
tives;  the  name  of  a  large  creek  in  N.  W.  Iowa.  See  Oce'yedan. 

ACHVAFALAY'A,  hucha — river,  falaya — long;  i.  e.,  "  long  river ;" 
the  name  of  the  principal  western  outlet  of  the  Miss,  river.  The 
word  is  sometimes  spelled  Atchafalaya. 

(O 


2  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

ACH\>UAKENU'NA,  tach  quach  acan  mena;  i.  e.,  "  where  pounding 
blocks  are  made,"  or  "where  we  get  the  wood  for  pounding 
blocks,"  namely  gum,  which  wood  the  Indians  call  tachquaha 
caniminschi. 

ACHQUANSCH'ICOLA,  ach  quoanch  icola /  i.  e.,  "the  place  from 
which  we  take  fish  by  means  of  the  bush  nets."  This  spot  is  near 
the  Lehigh  Water  Gap,  west  side  of  the  river. 

ACHSIN'NINK  ;  i.  e.,  "standing  stone;"  the  name  of  a  place  in 
Western  Penna.  The  word  is  said  to  allude  to  a  large  rock  stand 
ing  separate,  and  where  no  others  are  near. 

ACH'WICK,  ACHWEEK;  i.  e.,  "bushy,"  "difficult  to  pass;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Central  Penna. 

ACKEEKSEE'BE,  akuk — kettle,  and  sipi — stream;  i.  e.,  "kettle 
stream;"  the  name  of  a  northern  tributary  of  Rum  River,  which 
enters  the  Miss,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 

ACOM'EQUES;  i.  e.,  "the  land  on  the  other  side  ;"  the  name  of 
a  district  on  the  east  side  of  the  Thames  river,  in  Conn.,  and  near 
its  mouth. 

ACOMES.  This  word  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  aco — a 
bound,  or  point;  and  is  thought  to  mean  "a  rest,"  or  "  a  place  of 
stopping  ;"  the  name  of  a  fall  in  the  Amariscoggin  river  in  Maine. 

ACQUAC'KANONCK\  aco — limit,  misquak — red  cedar,  auk — wood, 
(stump,  or  trunk  of  tree;)  i.  e.,  "  the  limit  of  the  red  cedar  stumps, 
or  trunks ;"  or  possibly  a  better  translation  would  be  "  the  limit  of 
the  red  cedar  wood;"  the  name  of  a  village  on  the  Passaic  river  in 
N.  J. 

ACQUI'A,  equiwi ;  i.  e.,  "between,  or  in  between"  (something.) 
Others  say  the  word  is  derived  from  akki — earth,  and  means  liter 
ally  "  earthy,  or  muddy  creek  ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Va. 


AHIKI,  or  OUHEGEE,  dhiiki;  i.  e.,  "Sweet  potato  mother:"  the 
name  of  an  eastern  tributary  of  the  Chattahoochee  river. 

AISAHATCHA,  itchi,  or  itche — deer,  and  hatcha — river;  i.  e., 
"  Deer  River.  '*  This  was  formerly  the  name  of  a  river  in  Fla.  now 
ca  AT  hvr  1  isrwedi  edlores  from  the  Creek  and  Seminole. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  3 

ALABAM'A,  alba — thicket,  and  ayalmu — place  cleared  (of  trees  or 
underbrush;)  i.  e.,  "  thicket  clearers."  The  name  was  first  applied 
to  a  tribe  of  Indians  who  formerly  resided  at  the  junction  of  the 
Tombigbee  and  the  Coosa,  or  Alabama. 

ALGAN'SEE,  gan-lake,  mushco-dainsee — prairie;  i.e.,  "  the  lake 
prairie,"  or  ''the  prairie  resembling  a  lake;"  the  name  of  a  town- 
township  in  Branch  Co.,  Michigan. 

ALGONAC',  algonkm — akee ;  i.  e.,  "Algonquin  Land;"  the  name 
of  a  village  in  St.  Clair  county,  Michigan. 

ALGON'KIN,  ALLEGAN,  sagiegan — a  lake :  the  name  of  an  agricul 
tural  and  mining  county  in  Michigan. 

ALLEGHE'NY,  welhik-hanne,  or  oolik-hanne ;  i.  e.,  ''the  best,  or 
the  fairest  stream."  The  foregoing  is  supposed  to  be  the  correct 
definition,  derived  from  the  language  of  the  Delaware  Indians. 

AL'LUM,  or  WALLUM'S  POND;  i.  e.,  "the  fox  pond;"  the  name 
of  a  pond  in  the  N.  E.,  part  of  Conn. 

AMAKAL'LI,  or  AMACALLEE,  ama — water,  and  kalola — sliding, 
tumbling  ;  i.  e.,  "the  sliding  or  tumbling  water;"  the  name  of  a 
tributary  of  the  Flint  Driver  in  Miss. 

AM'BOY  ;  called  by  the  Indians  who  dwelt  there  embote,  which 
sig.,  if  Indian,  "  round  and  hollow  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  N.  J. 

AMENONOOSUC,  namaes — fish,  hussan — stone,  uc — place;  i.  e., 
"  the  stony  fish  place,"  or  "  the  stony  fish  brook  ;"  the  name  of  a 
western  tributary  of  the  Androscoggin  River  in  N.  H. 

AMIC'WAYS,  or  AMICAWAES,  amik — a  beaver. 
AMIKAIN'DAND  ;  i.   e.,  "beaver  house;"   the  name  of  the  most 
eastern  of  the  Beaver  Islands  in  Lake  Michigan. 

AN'DES,  anta — copper.  This  name  was  applied  by  the  Indians 
to  the  mountains  near  Cuzco,  the  ancient  capital  of  Peru. 

ANNEMO'SING,  annemose — a  young  fox,  ing  (ink.) — place;  i.  e., 
"  the  place  of  the  young  fox  ;"  the  Indian  name  of  the  Fox  Islands 
in  Lake  Michigan. 

ANO'KA  ;  i.  e.,  "  on  both  sides;"  the  name  of  a  village  in  Minn, 
on  both  sides  of  Rum  River. 


4  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

APACH'KS.  This  word  is  said  to  mean  "men;"  the  name  of  a 
tribe  of  Indians. 

APPALA'CHEE;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  apalatchi  okli ;  i.  e., 
''those  (people)  on  the  other  side/'  or  "  the  people  on  the  other 
side;"  the  term  was  formerly  applied  to  a  town  on  Appalachee 
Bay,  Fla.  It  is  now  the  name  of  a  river  in  the  northern  part  of 
Ga. 

APVALAVCHICO'LA,  cipalatchukla  ;  i.  e.,  ''old  town."  This  river 
was  named  after  an  Indian  town  formerly  standing  on  its  banks. 

APPOL'KCON,  apelogacan,  or  apillochgacan ;  i.  e.,  "  from  whence 
the  messenger  returned,"  possibly  '•'  the  way  by  which  the  messen 
ger  returns."  This  word  is  from  the  Minsy — a  dialect  of  the  Len- 
appe  language. 

AQUAPAUK/SIT.  This  word  probably  means  "at  the  end  of  a 
small  pond ;"  the  name  of  a  place  in  Conn. 

AQUAS'QUIT,  achowasquit ;  i.  e.,  "grassy,"  "overgrown  with 
grass." 

AQUEB'APAUG,  AQUAB'EPAUG.  This  word  may  mean  either  "  be 
fore  the  pond,"  or  the  "pond  before"  some  other  pond;  the 
name  of  a  pond  near  the  head  of  Pawcatuck  river  in  R.  I. 

ASH'AWOG,  ASSAWAUG,  NASHAWOG  ;  i.  e.,  the  "place  between 
two  rivers,"  or  the  crotch  of  a  river.  This  word  is  said  to  occur 
frequently  in  New  England  in  various  combinations. 

ASH'OWUGH  CUMMOCK'E  ;  i.  e.,  "the  half  way  place,"  or  "the 
place  between  ;"  that  is,  "  the  island  between  the  large  island  and 
the  main  land;"  the  name  of  an  island  near  New  London,  Conn. 

ASPET'UC,  ASPAT'OCK  ;  i.  e.,  "a  height ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in 
New  Milford,  Conn.  There  is  a  ridge  dividing  the  two  principal 
branches  of  this  river,  called  Aspatuck  Hill,  and  the  probability  is 
the  river  took  its  name  from  the  hill. 

ASP'ROOM  ;  i.  e.,  "high,"  "lofty"  or  "elevated;"  the  name  of 
a  mountain  in  Conn. 

ASSAWAS'SUC,  assawa  suck,  or  nashuae  suck ;  i.  e.,  "the  fork  of 
the  brook,"  or  better  "  the  place  between  the  forks  of  the  brook," 
the  name  of  a  place  in  E.  Glastenbury,  Conn. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  5 

ASSIN'ABOINA,  ossin — a  stone  or  stony,  abwoina — Sioux,  akee — 
earth  or  country;  i.  e.,  "the  stony  country  of  the  Sioux." 

ASTEN'ROGEN,  osteura — rock,  oge — in  the  water  ;  i.  e.,  "the  rock 
in  the  water;  the  Indian  name  for  Little  Falls,  Herkimer  Co., 
N.  Y. 

A'TE'SI,  a1  tassa ;  i.  e.,  "  war  club  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  the  In 
dian  territory,  called  after  an  old  town  on  the  Tallapoosa  River. 

ATTACAP'AS  ;  i.  e.,  "  men  eaters."  This  word  was  originally  the 
name  of  an  Indian  tribe  in  the  gulf  states,  and  would  indicate  that 
its  members  practiced  cannibalism. 

ATTAPUL'GUS,  itu pulga ;  i.  e.,  "boring  holes  into  wood  to  make 
fire;"  the  name  of  a  village  in  Decatur  Co.,  Ga. 

B. 

BALD  EAGLE  CR.,  PA.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  wapalanne  was 
chiech  hanne,  i.  e.,  "  the  stream  whereon  is  the  bald  eagle's  nest." 

BANT'AM.  This  word  may  be  derived  from  peantum,  and  if  so 
it  sig.  "he  prays,"  or  "praying,"  meaning  a  Christian  Indian  ;  at 
present  the  name  of  a  small  river  in  Conn. 

BEAVER  DAM  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians 
amochk  pah  as  ink  ;  i.,  e.,  "  the  place  where  the  beaver  have  shut 
up  the  stream." 

BIG  BEAVER  RIVER  was  called  by  the  Indians  amochkwi  sipu,  or 
amochk  hanne ;  i.  e.,  "beaver  stream;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  W. 
Penna. 

BIGTOOTH  CREEK,  Centre  Co  ,  Pa. ,  was  called  by  the  Indians 
mangipi sink ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  where  big  teeth  are  found." 

BILOX'I,  B'LUKSI,  luktchi — turtle.  The  sig.  of  the  particle  B  is 
lost,  but  the  word  has  some  allusion  to  the  catch  of  turtles ;  the 
name  of  a  bay  and  town  on  the  coast  of  Miss. 

BLACK  LICK  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians 
naskaishoni ;  i.  e.,  "the  lick  of  a  blackish  color." 

BROOK'LYN,  N.  Y.,  or  rather  the  place  where  that  city  stands, 
was  called  by  the  Indians  mereychawick,  from  me — the,  reckwa — 
sand,  ick — place  or  locality;  i.  e.,  "'the  sandy  place." 


6  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

BUF'FALO  CREEK,  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  sisilic- 
hanne ;  i.  e.,  "the  stream  resorted  to  by  the  buffaloes." 

BUSHY  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  achemek ; 
i.  e.,  "bushy,"  "difficult  to  cross." 

c. 

CAN'ADA,  kanata,  or  kanada  ;  i.  e.,  "  a  village  "  or  "  a  town." 

CANAJOHAR'IE,  kanada — village,  oquari — a  bear;  i.  e.,  "  the  -vil 
lage  of  the  bear,"  others  say  the  word  means  "  the  pot  that  washes 
itself;"  the  name  of  a  town  on  the  Mohawk  river,  N.  Y. 

CANDOT'O,  candatowa ;  i.  e.,  "high  land;"  the  name  of  the 
ridge  upon  which  the  town  of  Ridgefield,  Conn,  stands. 

CANKAPO/A  ;  i.  e.,  "light  wood  ;"  the  name  of  a  small  lake  at 
the  head  of  Vermillion  river,  Dakota. 

CANNON'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "two  woods;"  the  name  of  a  chain  of  small 
lakes  in  E.  Dakota  ;  so  called  on  account  of  having  two  small  groves 
of  timber  on  their  banks. 

CANNOUCH'EE,  from  the  Creek  word  ikano  dshi ;  i.  e.,  "graves 
are  there  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Ga. 

CAPA'GE,  kuppaug,  or  kobpog;  i.  e.,  "an  enclosed  place."  Pos 
sibly  the  name  may  have  originally  been  applied  to  the  Narrows, 
in  the  Naugatuck  river  at  Beacon  Hill,  Conn. 

CASSACUB'QUE,  kussukobske ;  i.  e.,  "high  rock;"  the  name  of  a 
great  ledge  of  rocks  in  Colchester,  Conn. 

CATASAU'QUA,  gattoshacki;  i.  e.,  "the  earth  is  thirsty,"  "wants 
rain ;"  the  name  at  present  of  a  town  in  Lehigh  Co.,  Penna. 

CATAWIS'SA,  gatta  wissi ;  i.  e.,  "becoming  fat;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Columbia  Co.,  Penna.,  emptying  into  the  Susquehanna 
near  Bloomsburg. 

CAUCOMGO'MIC,  kau-kon-gumik ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  big  gull  lake;"  the 
name  of  a  lake  in  Me. 

CAUGHVNAVAG'A  ;  i.  e.,  "stone  in  the  rapid  water."  Some 
writers  say  this  word  means  coffin-shaped  stone  in  the  water  ;  the 
name  of  a  town  on  the  Mohawk  river  in  N.  Y. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  7 

CAW'AN'SHAN'OCK,  gawunscli-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "green  briar  stream;" 
the  name  of  a  creek  in  Armstrong  Co.,  Pa. 

CAYUGA,  or  CYUGA,  kaouhiokwen ;  i.  e.,  "canoes  pulled  out  of 
water."  Other  authorities  say  this  word  sig.  "long  lake;"  the 
name  of  a  lake  in  N.  Y. 

CEGA  IYEYAP'I;  f.  e.,  "  kettles  are  found  ;"  the  name  of  the  lakes 
and  country  near  Fort  Wadsworth,  Dakota. 

CHANHAS'AN;  i.  e.,  "pale  bark  wood,"  "sugar  tree;"  the  name 
of  several  small  rivers  in  Minn,  and  Dakota. 

CHANK'A  ;  i.  e.,  "fire  stone;"  the  name  of  a  western  tributary 
of  the  Dakota,  formerly  Jaques  or  James  river ;  so  called  from  a 
very  hard  rock  consisting  of  semifused  or  vitrified  sand-stone,  found 
near  its  mouth. 

CHANVSHAVYAP'I ;  i.  e.,  "red  wood,"  literally  "a  post  painted 
red ;"  the  name  of  a  western  tributary  of  the  Minn. 

CHAN-SHU'-SHKA  ;  i.  e.,  "box  elder;"  the  name  of  a  tribe  of 
Dakotas. 

CHANSSNSAN'  ;  i.  e.,  "tumbling,"  or  "rapid;"  the  Dakota  name 
for  what  is  now  called  Dakota  river. 

CHA'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "beaver;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Minn. 

CHASKE.  This  word  is  the  name  of  a  village  on  the  Minn,  river 
in  Carver  Co.,  Minn.,  and  is  the  name  of  the  first  child  of  a  woman, 
if  a  son ;  if  a  daughter,  the  name  would  be  Winona. 

CHASMU'NA  ;   i.  e.,  "sandy;"  the  name  of  a  tribe  of  Dakotas. 
CHATTAHATCH'EE  ;   i.  e.,  "rock  river,  or  rocky  river." 

CHATTAHOO'CHEE,  CHATAHUCHI,  tchatu — rock,  stone,  hutchi— 
marked,  provided  with  signs;  i.  e.,  "pictured  rocks;"  the  name 
of  a  large  river  of  Ga. 

CHATTANOO'GA,  said  to  mean  "crow's  nest;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Ga.  ;  also  the  name  of  a  city  in  Tennessee. 

CHAUTAU'QUA;  i.  e.,  "foggy  place;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  the 
S.  W.  part  of  N.  Y.  Probably  the  name  was  first  applied  to  some 
portion  of  its  shores. 


8  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

CHEESECHANKAM'UCK  ;  i.  e.,  "the  great  fishing  place  at  the 
wier;"  the  name  of  the  east  branch  of  Farmington  river,  Conn. 

CHEH  TAN'BEH,  or  CHETAN'BE;  i.  e.,  "sparrow  hawk's  nest;" 
the  name  of  a  tributary  of  the  Minn,  river. 

CHES'APEAKE,  che  or  f  chi — great,  sepe  or  sipi — water  stretched 
out,  ahki — place;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  where  there  is  a  great  body  of 
still  water  stretched  out."  Another  definition  from  pretty  good 
authority,  is  "superior  saltish  bay." 

CHEPACH'ET;  i.  e.,  "a  place  of  separation,"  as  where  a  stream 
divides ;  the  name  of  a  creek  and  village  in  R.  I. 

CHEYENN'E,  SHAIENNA  or  SHYENNE  ;  i.  e.,  "speaking  a  different 
language;"  the  name  originally  of  a  tribe  of  Indians  recognized  as 
a  part  of  the  great  Dakota  family,  although  their  language  indicated 
that  they  sprang  from  the  Chippewa  or  Algonkin  stock. 

CHICA'GO,  chicagowunzh;  i.  e.,  "the  wild  onion  or  leek." 
Kaug,  in  the  Algonkin,  sig.  "porcupine,"  and  she-kaug — "pole 
cat."  The  analogy  between  those  words  is  apparent;  but  whether 
the  onion  was  named  before  or  after  the  animal  we  leave  our  read 
ers  to  investigate  for  themselves,  that  field  of  inquiry  lying  beyond 
the  scope  of  the  present  work. 

The  probability  is,  however,  that  where  the  great  city  of  Chicago 
now  stands  the  wild  onion  once  held  undisputed  sway. 

CHICKAHOM'INY,  chik-amaw-hony ;  i.  e.,  "turkey  lick,"  or  "the 
lick  at  which  the  turkeys  are  plenty ; "  the  name  of  a  river  in  Va. 

CHICKAMAU'GA ;  said  to  mean  "  river  of  death;"  the  name  of  a 
small  river  of  Ga.  and  Tenn. 

CHICKEMAX'EN,  chicke— '-big,  maxen  or  moxen — a  moccasin;  i.  e., 
big  moccasin. 

CHICONES'SE,  chic-onas-ink ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  where  it  was  forci 
bly  taken  from  us,  against  our  will." 

CHICK'HANSENK\  tschink  hansink',  i.  e. ,  "where  we  were  robbed," 
or  "  the  place  where  the  robbery  was  committed." 

CHICOM'ICO,  che — great,  comaco — house,  or  enclosed  place ;  i  e  , 
"the  great  house;"  possibly  the  house  of  a  Sachem. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  9 

CHIK'NICOM'IKA  now  CHICACOMICO,  tschik  enumike ;  i.  e.,  "the 
place  of  turkeys,"  or  "the  place  where  turkeys  are  plenty;"  the 
name  of  a  stream  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland. 

CHIKISALUN'GA,  chik  is  walunga ;  supposed  to  mean  "  place  of 
crabs,  or  crab-fish,"  or  "the  creek  on  which  the  ground  is  full  of 
holes  made  by  the  crab-fish."  Others  say  the  word  means  "long 
piece  of  land  where  rabbits  burrow."  The  word  is  now  the  name 
of  a  creek  in  Lane.  Co.,  Pa. 

CHILESQUA'QUE,  chelesuage ;  i.  e.,  "resort  of  snowbirds;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Northumberland  Co.,  Pa. 

CHIN'KE  CLA  MOO'SE,  aehts-chingi-clamme  ;  i.  e.,  "it  almost  meets 
together,"  or  "nearly  joins." 

CHIP^PAQUID'DICK,  or  CHIPPOQUIDDICK,  cheppi-aquidne ;  i.  e., 
"separated  island:  "  the  name  of  an  island  separated  by  a  narrow 
strait  from  Martha's  Vineyard. 

CHIP'PEWAY,  oshib  wah;  i.  e.,  "  he  overcomes,"  not  in  battle 
only,  but  in  any  undertaking,  or  "  he  surmounts  obstacles." 

CHISSENES'SICK,  chuessenesik ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of  blue  birds," 
or  "the  place  where  blue  birds  flock  together;"  the  name  of  a 
river  in  Va. 

CHOHWAJ'ICA  ;  i.  e.,  "willow;"  the  name  of  several  streams  and 
lakes  in  Minn. 

CHO'KIN  ;  i.  e.,  "roasting,"  or  "the  place  of  the  roasting;"  the 
name  of  a  lake  in  Minn.,  near  the  Mayauakan  River,  probably  so 
called  from  the  Dakotas  roasting  here,  teepoinna,  a  root  much  used 
by  them  for  food,  and  found  in  great  abundance  on  its  banks. 

CHOWAN',  chawwanoke ;  i.  e.,  "south,  or  southern  country." 
The  name  was  applied  to  this  stream  by  Capt.  John  Smith.  It 
was,  however,  applied  by  the  Powhatans  and  neighboring  tribes  of 
Va.,  to  the  country  south  of  them;  the  name  of  a  river  of  Va.  and 
N.  C.  flowing  into  Albemarle  Sound. 

CHUQUISA'CA;  i.  e.,  "bridge  of  gold"  in  the  Quinchua  Indian 
dialect.  This  word  is  the  name  of  the  present  capital  of  Bolivia 
on  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  a  small  tributary  of  the  Cachimayo. 
There  is  a  ford  on  the  river  at  this  point  across  which  vast  treas- 


10  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

ures  were  formerly  carried  by  the  Incas  of  Peru,  on  their  way  to 
Cuzco.  From  this  circumstance  the  name  is  supposed  to  have  been 
derived. 

CHY'GOES,  tschich  ohaiki ;  i.  e.,  "the  oldest  planted  ground;" 
the  Indian  name  of  the  place  where  Bennington,  N.  J.,  now 
stands. 

CICOUES'SING,  kikous — fish,  ink — place ;  i.  e.,  "  the  fishing  place ;" 
the  Indian  name  of  Lewis  Creek,  Del. 

COAQUAN'NOK;  i.  e.,  "grove  of  tall  pine  trees;"  I  think  this 
name  was  applied  by  the  Indians  to  the  spot  where  Philad.  now 
stands.  This  place  was  subsequently  called  by  them  quak  al  nunk  ; 
i.  e.,  "place  of  Quakers." 

COASSAT'TUCK,  kowas  htugk ;  i.  e.,  "pine  wood;"  the  name  of 
a  hill  in  N.  Stonington,  Conn. 

COCAL'ICO/  i.  e.,  "where  snakes  gather  together  in  holes  or 
dens"  to  pass  the  winter;  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Lancaster  Co., 
Pa. 

COCHABAM'BA  ;  i.  e.,  "the  granary;"  a  department  of  Bolivia 
rich  in  agricultural  products,  lying  east  of  the  Andes. 

COCH'IKU'ACK;  i.  e.,  "a  wild,  dashing  stream." 

COCOO'SING,  gok-hos-ing,  or gok-hos-ink ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  owls;" 
the  name  of  a  small  stream  that  rises  in  Montville,  Conn.,  and  flows 
into  the  Thames  river. 

CODO'RUS.  It  is  said  this  word  means  "rapid  water."  It  is 
probably  of  Iriquois  origin;  the  name  of  a  stream  in  southern 
Penna.  on  which  the  town  of  York  is  located.  An  older  orthog 
raphy  is  C adores. 

COHOCK'SINK,  cuwen-hack-ink ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  fine  pine  lands." 

CONCHAR'DEE,  kanshade ;  i.  e.,  "red  dirt,"  "red  earth;"  a  word 
of  Creek  origin  and  now  the  name  of  a  place  a  few  miles  west  of 
Talladega,  Alabama. 

CON'EAUET  LAKE  ;  i.  e.,  "  snow  lake;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  W. 
Penna. 

CON'EDOGWIN'IT,  or  CONODOGUINIT  ;  i.  e.,  "for  a  long  way  noth- 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  I  I 

ing  but   bends,"    "continual  bends;"   the  name  of   a  stream  in 
Cumbl'd  Co.,  Pa. 

CON'EMAUGH;  i.  e.,  ''otter  creek  :"  a  stream  in  W.  Penna.  flow 
ing  into  the  Kiskeminets  River. 

CONEQUENES'SING;  i.  e.,  "for  a  long  way  straight,"  or  "run 
ning  a  straight  course;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Butler  Co.,  Pa. 

CONESTO'GO.  It  may  be  that  this  word  which  is  generally  sup 
posed  to  be  of  Iriquoi  origin,  is  a  corruption  of  canastagiowne ;  i.  e., 
"the  great  magic  land;"  the  English  settlers  applying  the  name 
to  the  stream  ;  the  name  of  a  creek  flowing  through  a  most  charm 
ing  section  of  Lan.  Co.,  Pa. 

CONEWA'GO,  gune  uage ;  i.  e.,  a  "  long  strip,"  or  "  long  reach  ;" 
the  name  of  a  large  creek  in  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa.  The  probability  is 
the  name  was  first  applied  to  a  district  near  Middletown,  in  Dau 
phin  Co.,  Pa.,  now  also  the  name  of  rapids  in  the  Susquenanna 
near  Middletown,  and  also  the  name  of  a  creek  in  York  Co.,  Pa., 
flowing  into  this  river  near  those  rapids. 

CONEWAN'GO  ;  i.  e.,  "they  have  been  long  gone;"  the  name  of 
a  creek  flowing  into  the  Alleghany  river  in  Warren  Co.,  Pa. 

CONEWAN'TA,  guneunga ;  i.  e.,  "  they  staid  long  time  away." 

CONNECT'ICUT,  Quinmtuk ;  i.  e.,  "  land  on  the  long  tidal  river," 
or  "land  on  the  river  without  end,  with  tides." 

CONECOCHEAGUE,  (KonVko-cheeg')  ;  i.  e.,  "  indeed  a  long  way." 
The  word  seems  to  refer  to  some  occasion  when  a  party  of  Indians 
became  impatient  of  travel ;  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Franklin  Co., 
Pa. 

COOKQUA'GO,  kekoa,  okowa — an  owl,  and  goa — big;  i.  e.,  "big 
owl ;"  the  name  of  the  west  branch  of  the  Delaware  river. 

Coos  ;  a  Lenappe  word,  sig. — "pines,"  or  "  the  pines." 

CORAPECH'EN,  cola  pechen ;  i.  e.,  "fierce  running  stream  ;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Md. 

COSHEC'TON;  supposed  to  sig — "finished  small  harbor." 

Cow' AMPS,   COWOMPSQUE,  can  ompsk ;  i.   e.,  "a  whet-stone,"  or 


12  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

rock  suitable  for  that  purpose  ;  the   name  of  a  place  on  the  south 
side  of  Potatuck  river  in  Conn. 

COWANES'QUE;  i.  e.,  "briery,"  "  thornbushy ;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  N.  Penna. 

COWAS'SIT,  COWISSECK  ;  i.  e.,  a  "place  of  small  pine  trees." 
The  name  is  now  applied  to  a  small  stream  in  Conn. 

COWAUT'ACUCK,  kowaw-lugk-auk ;  i.  e.,  "pine  wood  land." 
The  word  is  at  present  the  name  of  a  small  river  in  Conn. 

COW'WAUS  ;  i.  e.,  "pine  land;"  the  name  of  a  rugged  tract  in 
Conn.,  near  New  London. 

CROOKED  CREEK,  PA.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  woak-hanne ; 
i.  e.,  "crooked  stream." 

CROSS  CR.  IN  WASH.  Co.,  PA.  The  Indian  name  of  this  stream 
was  wewunsschi  saquik ;  i.  e.,  "two  streams  emptying  themselves 
into  a  river  on  opposite  sides." 

CUN'NEYAUT,  CUNNEAUT,  gunneate ;  i.  e.,  "it  is  long  since  they 
went ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  N.  Penna. 

CUP'PACOM'MUCK ;  i.  e.,  "  a  close  place,"  "a  hiding  place  ;"  the 
name  of  a  swamp  in  Conn. 

CUPSUP'TIC;  i.  e.,  "the  act  of  drawing  a  sieve  while  fishing;" 
the  name  of  the  most  northern  of  the  Umbagog  chain  of  lakes  in 
Maine. 

CUSSAWA'GO  ;  i.  e.,  "snake  with  big  belly;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Crawford  Co. ,  Pa. 

CUSSE'TA,  hasi'hta;  i.  e.,  "coming  from  the  sun."  The  word 
is  at  present  the  name  of  a  town  in  Ala. 

D. 

DAHLON'EGA,  tau-lau-ne-ca ;  i.  e.,  "yellow  money;"  the  name 
of  a  village  in  Ga.,  near  the  richest  gold  mines  in  the  State. 

DAKO'TA;  i.  e.,  "  many  in  one  government."  It  will  be  ob 
served  this  word  is  the  equivalent  of  our  E  pluribus  unum.  This  is 
the  name  by  which  the  largest  tribe  or  nation  of  Indians  in  the 
U.  S.  call  themselves.  They  were  formerly  better  known  by  the 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  13 

name  of  the  Sioux.     The  name  is  said  to  have  been  assumed  be 
cause  the  nation  consists  of  many  tribes. 

DEL'AWARE  RIVER.  The  Indians  are  said  to  have  called  this 
stream  the  kit-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "  the  largest  stream." 

DETROIT'  was  called  by  the  Indians  teuch  sa  grandie,  also  wa-we- 
tun  ong,  both  words  sig.  "the  place  of  the  turned  channel."  It 
has  been  remarked  by  many  visitors  who  reached  this  place  by  boat 
at  night,  or  in  dark  weather,  or  who  were  inattentive  to  the  cur 
rents,  that  owing  to  the  extraordinary  involutions  of  those  currents, 
the  sun  appears  to  rise  in  the  wrong  place. 

E. 

EEL  RIVER,  IND.  This  river  was  called  by  the  Indians  shoa- 
maque ;  i.  e.,  "  slippery  fish,"  possibly  equivalent  to  a  translation. 

ELK  CREEK,  WASH.  Co.,  IND.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  moos- 
hanne ;  i.  e.,  "elk  stream."  Moos  is  the  name  for  elk  in  the  Del 
aware  language. 

ELK  LICK  CREEK,  in  Penna.,  called  by  the  Indians  mosi-mahon- 
hanne ;  i.  e.,  "elk  lick  stream." 

E'QUINUNK'  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  where  the  wearing  apparel  is  dis 
tributed  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  Wayne  Co.,  Pa.,  on  the  Dela 
ware  river.  • 

ES'QUIMAUX,  from  the  Algonkin  word  eskimautick^;  i.  e.,  "eaters 
of  raw  fish." 

ES^TABO'GA,  isti — people,  apokita — to  reside;  i.  e.,  "where  peo 
ple  reside ;"  the  name  of  a  town  on  the  Coosa  river,  Alabama. 

EYOTA'.  It  is  probable  this  word  is  a  corruption  of  lyotan,  a 
Dakota  word  sig.  "greatest,"  or  "the  greatest;"  the  name  of  a 
village  near  the  boundary  line  between  Iowa  and  Minn. 

F. 

FINHOL'OWAY,  fin-hd-lui;  i.  e.,  "high  bridge,"  or  "high  foot 
log ;"  the  name  of  a  swamp  in  Ga. 

FISHING  CREEK,  IN  CENTRE  Co.,  PA.,  was  called  by  the  Indians 
namaes-hanne  ;  i.  e.,  "  fish  stream." 


14  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

FRANKFORD  CREEK  in  E.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  win- 
gohocking,  or  wingehocking ;  i.  e.,  "choice  spot  of  ground  for  culti 
vation,"  "a  favorite  spot  for  planting."  Of  course  allusion  is  had 
to  the  fertile  banks  of  the  stream. 

G, 

GANGAS'COE,  shin-gas-cui ;  i.  e.,  "level  and  boggy." 

GASCON'SAGE  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  perpendicular  falls,"  now  Rochester, 
N.  Y. 

GICHTH  HANNK  ;   "  largest  stream  in  the  place  or  parts." 
GOOKHO'SING  ;   i.  e.,  "habitation  of  owls,"  or  "place  of  owls." 
GUKNT'ICO,  guentican  ;  i.  e.,  "dancing,"  place  of  frolicking." 

H. 

HACK'ENSACK,  supposed  to  be  derived  from  haucquan-sauk ;  i.  e., 
"hook  mouth;"  the  name  of  the  channel  by  which  the  waters  of 
Newark  Bay  find  their  way  around  Bergen  Point  to  New  York 
Bay.  Shok  or  sank  is  a  root  denoting  "to  pour  out,"  or  "pour 
ing  out."  Others  say  this  word  is  derived  from  hack-ink-sa-quinkt 
and  sig.  "a  stream  which  unites  with  another  stream  in  a  low  place 
or  on  low  ground,  that  discharges  almost  imperceptibly  into  anofher 
stream." 

HACK'INGSACK,  hacking — low,  aki — land;  i.  e.,  "low  land." 

HANNE,  HANNA,  HANNOK — generic  terms  in  the  Delaware  lan 
guage  for  stream. 

HAS'ACK,  ossum — stone,  ack — place;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of  the 
stones,"  or  "  the  stony  place." 

HAT'CHIE  or  HAT'CHEE,  a  generic  term  in  the  Creek  and  Chero 
kee  languages  sig.  stream  (creek  or  river).  In  the  Seminole  dia 
lect  it  is  said  to  mean  "little  river." 

HAT'TERAS.  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  this  word  was 
originally  the  name  of  a  tribe  of  Lenappe  Indians,  and  was  given 
to  the  Cape  by  the  English. 

HAY'TI,  said  to  mean  "  high  land,"  "  mountainous  country."  It 
was  called  by  Columbus,  its  discoverer,  Hispanola — i.  e.,  "Little 
Spain." 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  15 

HEHDO'KA,  or  REHDOKA;  i.  e.,  "gap  in  the  mountain;"  the 
name  of  a  place  where  there  is  a  depression  or  gap  in  the  contour 
of  the  prairie  near  the  line  between  Minn,  and  Iowa. 

HEI'PA  or  REI'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "head  of  the  mountain." 

HIGGAN'UM  ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  ax  or  tomahawk  rock  ;"  the  name  of 
a  brook  and  village  in  Haddam,  Conn. 

HO'BO'KEN,  hopecan ;  i.  e.,  "  smoke  pipe,"  others  say  "tobacco 
pipe,"  the  name  of  a  town  on  the  Hudson,  in  New  Jersey. 

HOCCAN'UM  or  HOCKAN'UM,  hocquaum ;  i.  e.,  "  hook,"  or  "  hook 
shaped  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  E.  Hartford,  Conn. 

HOCK^ENDOC'QUE ;  "searching  for  land." 

HO'KA;  i.  e.,  "horn;"  the  name  of  a  small  tributary  of  the 
Miss,  near  its  source. 

HOCK'HOCK'ING  ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  the  gourd  which  resembles  a 
bottle;"  Achsinmmk  or  standing  stone  ;  the  name  of  a  locality  in 
Bradford  Co.,  Pa.;  also  the  name  of  a  river  in  eastern  Ohio. 

HOK'AMAN  ;  i.  e.,  "where  herons  set,  or  breed;"  the  name  of 
several  lakes  in  Minn. 

HOP'PENY  CREEK,  hoblenisink ;  i.  e.,  "potato  creek,  or  the  creek 
where  the  wild  potato  grows  ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  N.  E.  Penna, 

HOUSATON'IC,  wnssi  aderic  nk ;  i.  e.,  "the  river  beyond  the 
mountain."  This  river  is  in  the  western  part  of  Conn,  immediately 
west  of  a  mountain  range. 

HUDSON  RIVER.  This  stream  was  called  by  the  Delaware  In 
dians  Mohicannet'tuck  ;  i.  e.,  the  river  of  the  Mohicans. 

I. 

I'DAHO;  said  to  mean  "  the  gem  of  the  mountain." 

IMNIJ'A,  or  EMNEJ'A  ;  i.  e.,  "rock,"  properly  "a  rock  washed 
by  water  :"  the  name  of  a  village  in  Dakota  on  the  Big  Sioux  river. 

IMNIJ'A-SKA\  or  EMNIJASKA ;  i.  e.,  "white  rock;"  the  Dakota 
name  for  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

INK' PA,  eenk-pah  ;  i.  e.,  "end,"  or  "point  ;"  the  name  of  a  trib- 


1 6  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

utary  of  the  Minn.,  entering  from  the  southwest  near  Lac  qui 
Parle,  which  was  formerly  considered  the  head  or  end  of  the  Minn, 
river. 

IN'YAN-BOSDA'TA,  or  ENYAN-BOSDATA  ;  i.  e.,  "stone  standing 
on  end;"  the  Dakota  name  for  Cannon  river  in  Neb.,  and  the 
name  of  a  village  near  it. 

INYAN  REAKAH  ;  i.  e.,  "  river  of  the  rock;"  the  name  of  a  river 
in  Minn. 

IN'YAN-SHAH-SHAH-WAK'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "river  of  red  stones;"  the 
Dakota  name  for  the  Des  Moines  river. 

IN'YAN-TANK-INK-IN'YAN-AIDE  ;  i.  e.,  "lake  of  big  stones;"  so 
called  from  the  rocky  mounds  found  near  the  lower  end  of  the  lake; 
the  name  of  a  lake  in  Minn. 

IN'YAN-YAN'KE;  i.  e.,  "stones  there;"  the  Indian  name  of  the 
Little  Sioux  river. 

IO'WA.  The  sig.  of  this  word  is  obscure,  but  it  is  supposed  to 
be  derived  from  the  Dakota  word  ayuhba ;  i.  e.,  "drowsy."  The 
name  was  applied  by  the  Dakotas  to  several  Indian  tribes. 

IPAK'SHAN;  i.  e.,  "crooked;"  the  Dakota  name  for  the  Big 
Sioux. 

ISAX',  inyan-sa'pa,  or  isanyati ;  i.  e.,  "pale  stone;"  the  name  of 
a  small  lake  near  the  head  of  Rum  river  in  Minn.,  upon  the  banks 
of  which  probably  were  found  the  flint  from  which  the  Dakotas 
made  their  knives  and  hatchets,  as  the  word  isan  is  now  said  to 
sig.  knife  in  their  language. 

IZTACCIHUATL,  ees-tahk-see-hwcih?  I ;  i.  e.,  "White  Lady."  This 
mountain  with  the  mountain  of  Popocatepetl  forms  the  twin  vol 
canic  mountains  of  Mexico. 

IZU'ZA;  i.  e.,  "white  stone;"  the  name  of  a  tributary  of  the 
Minnesota  entering  that  stream  a  short  distance  below  Big  Stone 
Lake. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  17 

J- 

JAMAI'CA;  a  corruption  of  Xayamaca;  i.  e.,  "land  of  wood  and 
water;"  the  name  of  one  of  the  most  delightful  of  the  W.  I. 
islands. 

JAMES  RIVER,  VA.  The  Indians  called  this  stream  pawat-hanne, 
i.  e.,  "the  river  of  pregnancy."  The  noted  chief  Powhatan  is 
supposed  to  have  been  named  after  the  stream. 

K. 

KANDIZO'HI,  kandi — buffalo-fish,  izohi — come  to,  or  come  into  ; 
i.  e.,  "that  which  the  buffalo-fish  come  into;"  the  name  of  a  lake, 
and  now  of  a  county  in  Minn. 

KATAH'DIN,  kata-adeni;  i.  e. ,  "  the  greatest,  or  chief  mountain  ;" 
the  name  of  the  highest  mountain  in  Maine. 

KATCH'ENAHA'  ;  i.  e.,  "turkey  lake;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in 
Florida. 

KEAR'SARGE,  koowass-adchu ;  i.  e.,  "sharp  or  pointed  pine 
mountain,"  or  merely  "the  notched,  or  peaked  mountain;"  the 
name  of  a  mountain  in  N.  H. 

KEHT  HAN'NE  ;  i.  e.,  "principal  or  greatest  stream."  This 
name  was  given  by  the  Lenappe  Indians  to  the  Delaware  river. 
The  same  .name  is  said  to  have  been  given  by  the  Delawares  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio,  to  that  stream. 

KEN'NEBECV,  quinni-nippi-ohke,  or  quinni-pi-ohki ;  i.  e.,  "long 
water  place;"  the  name  of  a  river  of  New  England. 

KENOS'HA  ;  i.  e.,  "a  pickerel;"  the  name  of  a  town  on  the 
western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 

KENTUCK'Y.  Some  suppose  this  word  to  be  derived  from  kentake- 
kowa ;  i.  e.,  "  the  prairies.  "Other  authority  says  that  the  word  is 
from  the  Shawnee  language  and  sig.  "at  the  head  of  a  river." 

KEN'ZUA,  or  KENJUA,  kents-chuak ;  i.  e.,  "  they  gobble;"  that 
is,  "the  wild  turkeys  gobble;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  central 
Penna. 

2 


1 8  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

KEWEE'NAW,  kewa-ue-nau  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  where  we  cross  by 
land  carrying  the  canoe  ;"  the  name  of  a  peninsula  in  the  north 
ern  part  of  Mich.  It  is  probable  the  name  was  first  applied  to 
some  narrow  portage  on  this  peninsula. 

KIGISCHGOT'UM,  or  KIGISCHKOTUM  ;  the  Indian  name  for  the 
katydid. 

KIKITSCH'IMUS,  kik-itsch-emuis ;  i.  e.,  "deer  creek." 

KISCHICOQUIL'IS,  gischi — already,  achgook — snakes,  walicu — in 
dens;  i.  e.,  "the  snakes  have  already  got  into  their  dens;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  MifHin  Co.,  Pa. 

KISKATA^MEN'AKOOK,  keskatonunakanke ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of 
shelled  nuts;"  the  name  of  a  locality  near  the  Catskill  mountains, 
N.  Y. 

KIS^KIMIN'ETAS,  giesh-gumanito ;  i.  e.,  "make  daylight."  Tra 
dition  says  a  warrior  encamping  on  its  banks  said  this  during  the 
night  to  his  comrades,  so  impatient  was  he  to  move  forward ;  the 
name  of  a  stream  in  Armstrong  Co.,  Penna. 

KITCH^I  GAM'I,  or  KECHE  GUMMIE  ;  i.  e.,  "the  great  or  chief 
lake;"  the  Chippewa  name  for  Lake  Superior. 

KITCHOPATAKI,  kitchu — maize-pounding  (block  of  wood,)  pataki 
— spreading  out;  i.  e.,  "where  the  Maize  Wood  river  is  spread 
out;"  the  name  of  a  tributary  of  the  Tallapoosa  river. 

KIT'TA  ;  a  generic  term  in  the  Delaware  language  sig.,  "  great," 
or  "very  great,"  or  "large/'  E.  G.  Kish-an-ink — large  place. 

KITNTAHIC'AN  ;  i.  e.,  "the  great  ocean." 

KITTAN'NING,  kit-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "large  stream,"  or  "the  place 
on  the  largest  stream  ;"  the  name  of  the  capital  of  Armstrong  Co., 
Penna. 

KIT'TATIN'NY,  kit-adini,  or  kata-adini ';  i.  e.,  "the  greatest,  or 
chief  mountain  ;"  the  name  of  an  extensive  mountain  range  in  E. 
Penna.,  containing  the  Delaware  and  Lehigh  water  gaps. 

KIT'TATON,  kitchc — great,  or  big,  otan — town  or  village;  i.  e., 
"  the  great  town  or  village ;"  at  present  the  name  of  a  creek  in 
Va.,  entering  the  Potomac  opposite  Point  of  Rocks;  probably  so 
named  on  account  of  an  Indian  village  on  its  banks. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  19 

KIT'TEMAUG\  kehte-amaug;  i.  e.,  ''great  fishing  place;"  the 
name  of  a  locality  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Thames  river  in  Conn. 

KO'KOMO  ;  i.  e.,  "young  grandmother;  "  the  name  of  a  town  in 
Indiana. 

KUT'TUCK,  kehtetuk ;  i.  e.,  "great  river;"  the  Indian  name  of 
the  Blackstone  river  in  Conn, 

KU'WEN-HAN'NE  ;  i.  e.,  "stream  running  through  pine  trees." 

L. 

LACKVMIS'SA ;  leganimksa ;  i.  e.,  "the  sandy  ground." 

LACK'AWAN'NA,  techau-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "forked  stream,"  or  "the 
stream  that  forks; "  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Eastern  Penna.  flowing 
into  the  Susquehanna  above  Wilkesbarre. 

LACK'AUWAX'EN,  lachauweksink ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  forks  of  the 
road ;  "  the  name  of  a  river  in  Pike  Co.,  Pa.;  named  probably  by 
the  English  after  a  locality,  now  a  town,  of  the  same  name,  where 
it  empties  into  the  Delaware. 

LACK^AWAN'AK,  LACK\AWAN'NOCK,  lechau-hannock ;  i.  e.,  "the 
forks  of  the  two  streams,"  or  "the  place  of  the  fork."  The  Lacka- 
wannock  mountain  in  Eastern  Penna.  originates  at  the  junction  of 
the  Lackawanna  river  with  the  Susquehanna,  and  from  its  location 
at  the  fork  of  those  streams  may  be  said  to  have  an  appropriate 
name. 

LAP^PAHAN'INK  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  where  the  tide  water  comes  to 
and  where  it  runs  off  again."  Compare  with  Rappahannock. 

LAWUN'AK  HAN'NOK;  i.  e.,  "  middle  stream." 

LECHAU'  HAN'NE  ;  i.  e.,  "the  forks  occasioned  by  the  confluence 
of  two  streams,"  as  is  the  case  where  the  Lehigh  (Jechaii)  falls  into 
the  Delaware.  The  place  where  Easton,  Pa.,  now  stands,  was  called 
by  the  Delaware  Indians  lechau  wit  auk;  i.  e.,  "the  town  within 
the  fork." 

LEECH  LAKE,  MINN.  The  Indian  name  for  this  lake  is  gah-suh- 
gus-gwah-che-ma-kang  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  of  leeches." 

LE'HIGH,  or  LECH'A.     Neither  of  these  words  is  the  proper  Indian 


20  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

name  for  this  river,  although  the  first  is  generally  supposed  to  be. 
The  words  Icchauweki  and  lech-au-wicch-ink,  or  lechauwekink,  point 
to  and  are  descriptive  of  a  crossing  place  on  the  Lehigh  river  much 
used  by  the  Indians  in  their  journeyings  to  and  from  the  lower  parts 
of  the  Delaware. 

LEN'NI  LENAP'PE  ;  i.  e.,  "  original,  or  unmixed  men,"  originally, 
perhaps  "  manly  men  ;"  the  name  of  a  very  large  family  of  Indians, 
in  general  terms  inhabiting  the  eastern  portion  of  the  U.  S.,  from 
Maine  to  South  Carolina. 

LICKING  CREEK,  PA.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  mahonink ;  i.  e., 
"  the  place  of  the  lick." 

LITTLE  BEAVER  CREEK,  in  Western  Penna.,  was  called  by  the 
Indians  tankamock-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "little  beaver  stream." 

LITTLE  BRIAR  CREEK,  PA.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  tanga- 
wunseh-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "little  briar  stream." 

LITTLE  CON'EMAUGH,  in  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians 
sangi-guna-mochki ;  i.  e.,  "little  otter  creek." 

LITTLE  MASHAN'ON  ;  tank-imos-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "  little  elk  stream;" 
the  name  of  a  creek  in  Centre  Co,,  Pa. 

LOAVCHAPO'KA,  lutcha — terrapin,  poka — killing-place  i.  e.,  "the 
place  where  terrapins  are  killed ;  at  present  the  name  of  a  town  in 
Macon  Co.,  Ala. 

LONOT'O  CREEK,  in  Ga.;  from  lonoto — flint;  i.  e.,  "  Flint  creek," 
an  affluent  of  Flint  river,  Ga.  This  word  is  the  Indian  name  for 
that  river. 

LQOSH'TOOK;  i.  e.,  "long  river;"  the  name  of  the  principal 
river  of  New  Brunswick;  better  known  as  St.  John's  river. 

LOYALHAN'NA,  laweel-hanne  ;  i.  e.,  "  middle  stream  ;"  the  name 
of  a  creek  in  Westmoreland  Co.,  Penna.,  which,  uniting  with  the 
Conemaugh,  forms  the  Kiskiminetas  river. 

LOY'ALSOCK  CREEK,  LYCOMING  Co.,  PA.;  from  lawi-saquik ; 
i.  e.,  "the  creek  that  empties  itself  between  others,"  or  "middle 
creek." 

LYCOM'ING,   legaui-hanne ;    i.    e.,    "sandy  creek,"   or   "sandy 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  21 

stream,"  more  properly;  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Central  Penna. 
flowing  into  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna. 

M. 

MACH'EMOOD'US,  matche-mddose ;  i.  e.,  "there  is  a  bad  noise," 
or  "  the  place  of  bad  noises  ;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in  East  Had- 
dam,  Conn. 

MACH  HAN'NE  ;  i.  e.,  "the  large,  or  largest  stream;"  the  name 
given  to  the  largest  of  the  three  streams  which  unite  to  form  the 
Lehigh  river. 

MACHIGAM'MI  ;  i.  e.,  "large  lake;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  north 
ern  Wisconsin. 

MACHIGAM'IG,  witchi-gaming ;  i.  e.,  "  large  lake,"  or  "  large  lake 
stream;"  the  name  of  the  stream  flowing  from  Lake  Michigammi, 
in  Wis. 

MACKIAPIER,  machkkeabi ;  i.  e.,  middle  water. 

MACUN'GY,  mack-hein  schi;  i.  e.,  "  the  harboring,  or  feeding  place 
of  bears;"  at  present  the  name  of  a  township  in  Lehigh  Co.,  Pa. 

MAC'OPANACK'HAN,  muchop-pen-ackhan ;  i.  e.,  "the  large  potato 
stem." 

MAGATANKA  MDE;  i.  e.,  "swan  lake;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in 
Nicollet  Co.,  Minn. 

MAGOT'TY  or  MAGOTHY,  mequkty ;  i.  e.,  "a  small  plain  or  prai 
rie  devoid  of  timber  ;  "  the  name  of  a  river  in  Md. 

MAHANOY';  a  corruption  from  mahoni — a  lick;  the  name  of  a 
stream  in  Central  Pa. 

MAHANTAUGO;  from  mohantaugo ;  i.  e.,  "where  we  had  plenty  of 
meat  to  eat;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa. 

MAHMAN'SUCK;  i.  e.,  "a  place  where  two  streams  meet,"  or  pos 
sibly  "  a  brook  containing  two  ponds." 

MAHON'ING,  or  MAHO'NY,  mahonink ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of  the 
lick,"  or  "at  the  lick;"  the  name  of  a  creek  emptying  into  the 
Allegheny  river  in  Armstrong  Co.,  Pa. 


22  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

MAKA'GI  ;  i.  e.,  "  brown  earth  ;"  the  name  of  a  western  triubu- 
tary  of  the  Minn. 

MAK'A  MDE  ;  i.  e.,  "sunk  lake;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  Dakota. 

MAK'IAP'IER,  machkiabi ;  i.  e.,  "water  of  a  reddish  color;"  the 
name  of  a  pond  in  N.  J. 

MAKU'A  ;  i.  e.,  "bear,"  or  "  a  bear;"  the  name  of  a  town  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 

MAMAR'ONECK  ;  named  from  Mamaronock,  a  chief  of  the  Wiqua- 
eskeck  Indians  ;  the  name  of  a  town  in  Westchester  Co.  N.  Y. 

MAN'ADY,  or  MANADA,  menathey ;  i.  e.,  "an  island;"  the  name 
of  a  creek  in  Dauphin  county,  Pa. 

MAN'AHAN,  menehund ;  i.  e.,  "where  liquor  has  been  drunk;" 
the  name  of  a  place  in  Centre  Co.,  Pa. 

MANAL'TON,  menaltink ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  place  where  we  drank 
liquor  to  excess;"  the  name  of  a  place  in  Western  Pa. 

MAN'ATAUCK  ;  i.  e. ,  a  place  of  observation,"  a  "look-out  place;" 
the  name  of  a  high  hill  in  Waterford,  Conn.,  in  full  view  of  L.  I., 
Sound. 

MANATAW'NY,  menhaltanink ;  i.  e.,  "  where  we  drank"  (liquor); 
the  name  of  a  creek  and  town  in  Berks  Co.,  Pa. 

MANHAN'NOCK,  munnohan-auke ;  i.  e.,  "island  place;"  a  section 
of  Gastonbury,  Conn.,  formerly  an  island  in  the  Conn,  river. 

MANHAT'TAN,  munnohan,  or  mandates;  i.  e.,  "the  island." 
This  word  munnohan  is  a  generic  term  sig. — island.  New  York 
island  was  sometimes  spoken  of  by  the  Indians  as  the  island. 

MANHUMS'QUEEG  ;  i.  e.,  "in  the  whetstone  country;"  the  name 
of  a  locality  in  Conn. 

MANITOW'AH  ;  i.e.,  "  the  spirit  bow." 

MANKA'TO;  i.  e.,  "earth  blue,"  or  more  properly  "earth 
green ;"  the  name  of  a  river  and  town  in  Minn. 

MAN'OKIN,  msnach-ink ;  i.  e.,  "an  enclosed  place ;"  the  Indian 
name  of  a  river  in  Md. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  23 

MANON'IETY,  mahonitty ;  i.  e.,  "quite  small  lick."- 

MANUS'SING,  munnohan  ;  i.  e.,  "an  island,"  or  "  the  island  ;" 
the  name  of  an  island  in  Long  Island  Sound,  N.  Y. 

MANAYUNK',  mene-iunk ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  rum,"  or  "place  of 
drinking  liquor;"  a  locality  within  the  present  limits  of  Philad.,  Pa. 

MASGEEK^HAN'NE  ;  i.  e.,  "a  stream  flowing  through  swampy 
ground;"  the  name  of  a  stream  on  Broad  Mountain  south  of 
Scranton,  Pa. 

MASHOPE,  masch-api ;  i.  e.,  "beads  of  glass;"  the  name  of  a 
locality  in  Pike  county,  Pa.,  present  orthography  masthope. 

MASSA'CHAUGV  ;  This  word  is  probably  derived  from  muskechoge  ; 
i.  e.,  "  place  where  rushes  grow ;  "  the  name  of  a  pond  in  R.  I. 

MAS'SAPAUG,  MASHAPAUG,  MASHPAUG,  MASSAPOGUE,  MUSSAPOG, 
mash  or  mass — great  or  large,  paug — water  at  rest;  i.  e.,  "the 
great  standing  water;"  occurring  frequently  as  Indian  names  of 
ponds  in  Conn,  and  R.  I. 

MASSACHUSETTS,  massa — great,  adchu — mountain,  et — near,  in 
the  vicinity;  i.  e.,  "near  the  great  hill  or  mountain."  It  is  said 
Roger  Williams  obtained  from  the  Indians  the  phrase,  "the  blue 
hills,"  as  a  definition  to  this  word,  which  was  suggested  by  the 
appearance  of  an  island  off  the  coast. 

MAS'SAPEAG,  MASHPEAG,  massa-peauk ;  i.  e.,  "  great  water  land," 
or  "  land  on  the  great  cove ;  "  the  name  of  a  locality  in  Montville, 
Conn. 

MASHAMOQ'UET,  massa-amaug-ut ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  great  fishing 
place;"  at  present  the  name  of  a  brook  in  Pomfret,  Conn. 

MAS'SAWAM'ASOG,  massa-womussuk ;  i.  e.,  "great  declivity," 
"steep  hillside  or  bank."  This  name  is  now  applied  to  a  brook 
and  cove  west  of  the  Thames  river  in  Montville,  Conn. 

MATCH  ACH'  PONE;  i.  e.,  "bad  bread."  The  English  word  pone, 
a  bread  made  from  ground  corn,  may  have  been  derived  from  this 
Indian  word  pone. 

MATACOM'ACOK  :  i.  e.,  "bad  place  land,"  or  possibly  "where 
the  path  is  bad  ;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in  Windsor  Bounds,  Conn. 


24  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

MATCH  ACOMOCA,  matachgenimoah ;  i.  e.,  "they  are  counselling 
about  war/'  "  a  council  of  war." 

MATCHOPUNGO,  matschipungo ;  i.  e.,  "bad  powders,"  or  "bad 
ashes"  (unfit  for  baking  bread). 

MATOMKIN,  mattemikin ;  i.  e.,  "  to  enter  a  house." 

MATTAPOI'SET  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  massabeset ;  i  e.,  "  a 
place  at  a  great  rivulet  or  brook ;"  the  name  of  a  river  and  town  in 
Mass. 

MATTAP'ONY,  mattah-pona  ;  i.  e.,  "no  bread  at  all  to  be  had;" 
the  name  of  a  river  in  the  S.  E.  part  of  Va. 

MAT'TAWAKS,  meteaukock ;  i.  e.,  "the  periwinkle;"  the  Indian 
name  for  Long  Island.  Here  the  Indians  are  said  to  have  obtained 
the  material  for  their  wampum. 

MAT'TITUCK';  i.  e.,  "place  without  wood,"  or  "land  not 
wooded  ;"  the  name  of  a  village  on  Long  Island. 

MAUCH  CHUNK',  machk — bear,  tschunk — at  or  near  the  moun 
tain ;  i.  e.,  "the  bear  mountain,"  or  "at,  or  on  the  bear  moun 
tain;"  the  name  of  the  county  seat  of  Carbon  Co.,  Pa. 

MAX'ITAW'NY,  or  MAXITAWENY,  machkset-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "bear's 
path  stream  ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Berks  Co.,  Pa. 

MAY'AIMI  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  Creek  words,  mahi 
—very  large,  and  uiwa,  (guevu) — water;  i.  e.,  "very  large 
water;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  Fla. 

MVva  WAK'EN  ;  i.  e.,  "  sacred,  or  mysterious  banks;"  the  name 
of  the  largest  northern  tributary  of  the  Minn.,  more  frequently 
called  the  Chippewa  river. 

MAY  LUCK;  a  corruption  from  the  Indian  words namareek-roake, 
or  namelake  derived  from  name  auke ;  i.  e.,  "fishing  place;"  the 
name  of  a  small  stream  in  East  Windsor,  Conn. 

MAZOMAN'I  ;  i.  e.,  "walks  in  metal;"  the  name  of  a  town  in 
Wisconsin  named  after  an  Indian  chief. 

MEECH-HANNE;  i.  e.,  "main  stream;"  the  name  applied  by  the 
Indians  to  the  largest  arm  of  the  Lehigh  river  flowing  between 
Monroe  and  Lackawanna  counties,  Pa. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  25 

MENAL'TIN,  menaltink  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  where  we  drank  liquor 
to  excess." 

MEN'AN,  (Grand  Menan),  munnohan  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  island."  The 
word  grand  is  an  English  prefix ;  the  name  of  an  island  opposite 
Pas'samoquoddy  Bay. 

MENASH'A;  i.  e.,  "a  thorn  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  Winnebago 
Co.,  Wisconsion. 

MENHEE'RING,  or  MENHERRIN,  menhattink ;  i.  e.,  "on  the 
island  ;  "  the  name  of  a  stream  in  S.  E.  Va. 

MENUN'KETUCK,  munnahquohteau ;  i.  e.,  "that  which  fertilizes 
or  manures  land."  The  word  menhaden  is  supposed  to  be  a  corrup 
tion  of  the  same  word.  The  word  menunhetuck  is  the  Indian  name 
for  Guilford  West  River,  in  Conn.  From  a  tradition  we  learn  that 
some  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  Conn,  residing  on  the  larger  streams 
used  fish,  when  obtainable,  for  fertilizing  purposes. 

MEREY  CHA'WICK,  me — the,  reckwa — sand,  ick — place,  or  lo 
cality;  i.  e.,  "the  sandy  place;"  the  Indian  name  of  the  place 
where  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  now  stands.  The  probability  is  the  name 
was  first  applied  to  the  sandy  beach. 

MESHOPPEN,  from  maschapi  ;  i.  e.,  "  glass  beads  ;  "  the  name  of 
a  stream  flowing  into  the  Susquehanna  in  Wyoming  Co.,  Pa.  It  is 
said  the  name  was  given  to  commemorate  a  distribution  of  such 
trinkets,  as  glass  beads  among  the  Indians. 

MESON'GO,  or  MESON'GE,  meschaugo,  or  me s change ;  i.  e.,  "where 
we  killed  deer,"  "good  hunting  ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Md. 

MEX'ICO;  named  after  Mexitli,  the  Aztec  war-god. 

MIAN'US;  i.  e.,  "he  who  gathers  together."  The  little  river  in 
Conn,  to  which  this  name  is  now  applied,  and  the  neck  of  land  at 
its  junction  with  the  Coscob'cove,  were  so  called  from  the  Indian 
proprietor,  Mayan'no,  or  Mayen'e. 

MICH'IGAN;  i.  e.,  "great  water;"  the  name  of  one  of  the  largest 
lakes  in  N.  A. 

MILWAU'KEE,  me-no-ah-ke ;  i.  e.,  "good  land;"  the  name  of  a 
city  of  Wisconsin  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 


26  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

MINISENK,  mins-ink ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of  the  Minsies"  or  "  the 
home  of  the  Minsies."  The  original  seat  of  the  Minsi  tribe  of  the 
Lenappe  Indians  was  in  the  upper  valleys  of  the  Delaware  river. 

MIN'NAHAUOCK',  menahan — an  island,  uck — place;  i.  e.,  "at  the 
island,"  or  "the  island  home."  This  was  the  Indian  name  of 
Blackwell's  Island  near  the  city  of  New  York. 

MIN'NECHAUG,  minne-adchu-auke ;  i.  e.,  "huckleberry  hill ;"  the 
name  of  a  district  of  Glastonbury,  Conn. 

MIN'NEHA'HA,  minni — water,  ihaha — to  smile;  i.  e.,  "smiling 
water."  This  word  is  usually,  but  erroneously,  translated  laugh 
ing  water.  Ha  sig.  "to  curl,"  and  ihaha,  to  smile.  In  smiling, 
the  lip  curls.  The  name  of  falls  in  the  Miss,  river  in  Minn. 

MIN'NESO'TA,  minni — water,  sofa  —  slightly  whitish;  i.  e., 
"slightly  whitish  water."  This  word,  however,  is  usually  defined 
"clear  water."  Originally  this  word  was  the  name  of  several  lakes 
in  Minn.  It  is  supposed  these  waters  owe  their  slightly  whitish  hue 
to  the  presence  of  carbonate  of  lime. 

MINNI'SKA;  i.  e.,  "clear  water;"  the  name  of  a  tributary  of  the 
Minnesota  river. 

MINNI'SNI;  i.  e.,  "cold  water;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  Minn., 
so  called  from  a  cold  spring  near  by. 

MIS'PAU,  me — the,  espau — raccoon;  i.  e.,  "the  raccoon;"  the 
name  of  a  tributary  of  the  Delaware  river. 

MIS'QUAM'ICUK,  SQUOM'ACUK,  mishquamaug;  i.  e.,  "a  place  for 
taldng  salmon;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in  Westerly  Township, 
R.  L,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Pawcatuck  river. 

MISSINI'PI,  missi — all,  whole,  entire,  nipi — water;  i.  e.,  "the 
whole  water;"  the  name  of  a  river  near  the  sources  of  the  Miss., 
flowing  into  Hudson's  Bay. 

MISSISSIPPI,  mtsi,  or  mishi — great,  sipi — river;  i.  e.,  "great 
river."  The  foregoing  derivation  is  from  the  Ojibwa  tongue. 
Others  entitled  to  much  credit  say  the  word  comes  from  me-ze-wa — 
everywhere,  and  seebe — river;  i.  e.,  "  the  vast  or  everywhere  river." 

MISSOU'RI  ;  it  is  supposed  this  word  comes  from  minni-shosha — 
the  Dakota  name  for  this  river,  and  sig.  "  muddy  water." 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  27 

MITCHAWON' ;  i.  e.,  "an  obstruction,"  "a.  turning  back;"  the 
Indian  name  for  the  falls  of  the  Housaton'ic  river  at  New  Milford, 
Conn. 

MENDO'TA,  mdota ;  i.  e.,  "the  mouth,"  or  "the  mouth  of  a 
river;"  the  name  of  the  town  at  the  junction  of  the  Minnesota  with 
the  Miss,  in  Minn. 

MOHAWK  RIVER  ;  the  Dutch  called  this  river  Maquaas  river ; 
i.  e.,  "muskrat  river,"  and  the  probability  is  the  present  name  is 
a  corruption  from  the  latter  word.  The  historian,  Trumbull,  how 
ever,  on  the  authority  of  Roger  Williams,  derives  it  from  the 
Indian  word  moho — to  eat,  and  says  the  word  sig.  "cannibal 
river;"  the  name  of  a  large  river  of  N.  Y.  flowing  into  the  Hudson 
above  Albany. 

MOHE'GAN,  muhhekanneuk ;  primarily  from  maingan — a  wolf; 
the  name  of  a  tribe  of  Indians  formerly  residing  in  R.  I.  and  Conn. 

MOHUL'BUC'TISON,  mocholpakison ;  i.  e.,  "where  canoes  are  aban 
doned."  The  word  is  said  to  sig.  "  the  head  of  navigation." 

MON'ACAN,  from  the  Delaware  word  monhacan ;  i.  e.,  "  a  spade," 
or  any  implement  for  digging  the  soil. 

MON^TAUK'  POINT.  Probably  derived  from  manati-auke ;  i.  e., 
"the  island  country,"  or  "the  country  of  the  islanders;"  the  name 
of  a  promontory  on  Long  Island. 

MONTOWES'E.  This  name  is  derived  from  Mantowese  —  the 
name  of  an  Indian  of  some  local  prominence,  whose  name  is  a 
diminutive  of  Manito,  and  sig.  "little  god."  The  word  is  now 
the  name  of  a  railroad  stat.  and  P.  O.  in  East  Haven,  Conn. 

MONOCRACY,  or  MONOCKISY,  menagassi ;  i.  e.,  "  stream  containing 
many  large  bends;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Md.  flowing  into  the 
Potomac  ;  also  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Butler  and  Northampton 
counties,  Pa. 

MONON^GAHE'LA,  menaungihella ;  i.  e.,  "  high  banks  breaking  off 
in  some  places  and  tumbling  down  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  south 
western  Pa. 

MUNCY,  MONSEY,  minsink  or  menesink ;  i.  e.,  "habitation  of  the 
Minsi  tribe,"  or  the  place  of  the  Minsi;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in 
Lycoming  Co.,  Pa. 


28  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

MOOSE'LEM  or  MOSELEM  CREEK,  maschil-amek-hanne ;  i.  e., 
"  trout  stream  ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Berks  Co.,  Pa. 

MOOSHAN'NE,  MOSHANNIE,  or  MQSHANNON  ;  i.  e.,  "  elk  stream;" 
the  name  of  a  creek  in  Centre  Co.,  Pa. 

MOOS'UP  ;  so  called  from  Maussup,  the  name  of  a  chief  of  the 
Narragan§ett  Indians  ;  the  name  of  a  river  in  Conn. 

MOUNT  MARCY,  NEW  YORK,  was  called  by  the  Indians  ta-ha-was ; 
i.  e.,  "  he  splits  the  sky." 

MOUNT  TOBY,  MASS.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  Quunk-wat-chu ; 
i.  e.,  "  high  mountain." 

MOY^AMEN'SING,  mo — the,  sowhamen — maize,  ink — place;  i.  e., 
"  the  place  for  maize,"  or  "  the  maize  land  ;"  the  name  of  a  dis 
trict  within  the  limits  of  Philada.,  Pa. 

MUDDY  CREEK,  in  York  Co.,  Pa.,  is  said  to  have  been  called  by 
the  Indians  achsees-pagkoh ;  i.  e.,  "muddy  water." 

MUN'NOMIN;  i.  e.,  "rice  ;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in  Mich. 

MUSCONET'CONG,  MUSCON'ECON,  mask-hann-cunk ;  i.  e.,  "rapid 
running  stream  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  the  northern  part  of  N. 
].,  flowing  into  the  Delaware  below  Easton,  Pa. 

MUSCO'DA,  mus-co-da ;  i.  e.,  "a  prairie;"  the  name  of  a  town 
on  the  Wisconsin  river,  Wisconsin. 

MUSKING'UM,  or  MOOSKING'UM  ;  i.  e.,  "Elk's  eyes."  The  Dela- 
wares  when  they  took  possession  of  the  country  west  of  the  Ohio 
river  found  it  abounding  in  elk  or  deer,  so  tame  they  could  be  ap 
proached  near  enough  to  see  their  eyes;  whence  the  name;  the 
name  of  a  river  in  Ohio. 

MYS'TIC,  missi — great,  tuk  or  ittuk — stream;  i.  e.,  "the  great 
stream;"  the  name  of  the  principal  river  flowing  into  Boston  bay. 
Tuk  or  ittuk  is  more  especially  the  name  of  a  stream  whose  waters 
are  driven  in  waves  by  tides  or  winds. 

N. 

NAN'SEMOND,  or  NAN'SAMOND,  nauns-chim-end ;  i.  e.,  "from 
whence  we  fled,"  "from  whence  we  were  driven  ofT;"  the  name  of 
a  county  in  Va. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  29 

NAN'TICOKES;  i.  e.,  "tide  water  people;"  the  name  of  a  tribe 
of  Indians  who,  when  first  known  to  the  English,  had  their  seat  on 
the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland.  They  were,  however,  of  Inquoi 
origin,  and  finally  joined  the  Five  Nations  in  New  York,  making 
the  Six  Nations. 

NANTIHALAH  ;  i.  e.,  "maiden's  bosom;"  the  name  of  a  river 
in  Macon,  co.,  N.  C. 

NAR'RAGAN'SET,  acawmen-oake,  and  with  tuk  it  forms  acawen-tuk; 
i.  e.,  "  other  side  river."  Others  say  this  word  is  a  corruption  of 
naiaganset  and  sig.  "at  or  about  the  point." 

NATCH'EZ,  naksh-asi ;  i.  e.,  "a  hurrying  man,"  "one  running 
as  to  war."  The  name  formerly  belonged  to  a  tribe  of  Indians 
that  settled  where  Natchez  now  stands,  about  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  It  is  the  opinion  of  some  that  this  word  is  de 
rived  from  naksika — aside,  away  from,  owing  to  the  site  of  their 
village,  which  was  away  from  the  "great  water  road,"  the  Miss. 

NAUB'UC;  said  to  be  a  corruption  of  dupatik,  and  to  sig. 
"flooded"  or  "overflowed;"  the  name  of  a  village  in  Conn. 

NAU'GATUCK'.  This  word  is  said  to  be  derived  from  nequt-tugk, 
and  to  sig.  "one  tree."  The  word  is  now  the  name  of  a  small 
river  in  Conn.  The  probability  is  the  tree,  which  perhaps  stood 
on  its  banks,  was  of  great  note  or  interest. 

NAWBESET'UCK ;  a  corruption  of  nuppeeit-ohke ;  i.  e.,  "land  at 
the  pond ;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in  Mansfield,  Conn. 

NAYAUG,  naiag ;  i.  e.,  "the  point,"  or  "the  corner;"  the  name 
of  a  point  at  the  junction  of  Roaring  Brook  and  the  Conn,  river, 
in  Glastonbury,  Conn. 

NEBRAS'KA;  i.  e.,  "flat  or  broad  water;"  from  the  Omaha  or 
Punka  language. 

NEMATTAN'O,  nimmattima;  i.  e.,  "our  brother." 

NEP'AUG  ;  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  either  nunnepaug — fish 
pond,  or  wunnepaug — good  pond;  the  name,  at  present,  of  a  vil 
lage  in  Conn. 

NES'COPECK,  or  NES'COPEC,  naesk-choppek  ;  "  blackish  colored  and 


30  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

deep  still  water;"  the  name  of  a  creek   in   eastern   Penn.,  flowing 
into  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna. 

NESHAM'INY,  nischam-hanne ;  i.  e.,  ''two  streams  making  one  by 
flowing  together;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

NESHAN'NOCK,  neshannok  ;  i.  e.,  "  two  adjoining  streams  ;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Lawrence  Co.,  Pa. 

NESHO'BA,  or  NASHO'BA,  neshoba ;  i.  e.,  "gray  wolf;"  the  name 
of  a  tributary  of  the  Yazoo  river  in  Miss. 

NES'QUEHON'ING,  naska-honi ;  i.  e.,  "black  lick,"  or  "a  lick 
the  waters  of  which  have  a  blackish  color  ;"  the  name  of  creek  in 
Carbon  Co.,  Pa. 

NIAG'ARA,  o-ne-aw-ga' -ra  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  neck."  The  term  is  derived 
from  an  Iriquoi  word  for  the  human  neck,  and  was  applied  to  the 
entire  Niagara. river,  which  connects  Lake  Erie  with  Lake  Ontario, 
as  the  human  neck  connects  the  head  with  the  body.  It  is  said  on 
good  authority  that  this  word  is  not  the  Indian  name  for  the 
great  falls.  These  falls  were  called  by  the  Senecas  date-car-sko- 
sasa;  i.  e.,  ".the  highest  falls." 

NIAN'TIC  ;  said  to  sig.  "at  a  point  of  land  on  a  tidal  river."  The 
name  occurs  several  times  in  Conn. 

NIOBRA'RA,  ni — water,  obrara — broad  or  large;  i.  e.,  "the  broad 
or  large  water  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Neb. 

NIP'PENOSE,  nipenowi ;  i.  e.,  "  like  unto  the  summer;"  a  warm 
situation  "where  the  cold  does  not  penetrate;"  the  name  of  a  re 
markable  valley  in  Lycoming  Co.,  Pa.;  also  the  name  of  a  creek  in 
the  same  Co. 

NIP'PISSING\  nippe — water,  or  still  water,  ing  or  ink — place  ;  i.  e., 
"the  place  of  still  water."  The  name  seems  more  particularly  to 
apply  to  a  wide  place  in  a  river  where  the  current  slackens.  Possi 
bly  Nipissing  Lake,  in  Canada  West,  may  derive  its  name  from  the 
same  root. 

NIP'SIC,  NIP'SUCK,  nips — a  pool,  auke — place;  i.e.,  "  the  place 
of  a  pool;"  a  location  in  Glastonbury,  Conn.,  so  named  from  a 
magnificent  spring  of  water  which  here  bursts  forth. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  3! 

NIS'OPACK,  neeshapaug',  i.  e.,  "  two  ponds;"  a  name  frequently 
occurring  in  Conn. 

NOCK'AMIX'ON,  nochanixink ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  three  houses ;"  the 
name  of  a  township  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

NOLAMAT'TINK ;  i.  e.,  "the  silk  worm  place,"  or  "the  silk-worm 
land;"  the  name  of  a  tract  of  land  in  Northampton  Co.,  Pa., 
which  formerly  abounded  in  mulberry  trees. 

NOR' WALK  ;  the  word  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  nayaug — 
a  point  of  land  ;  the  name  of  a  river  in  Conn. 

o. 

OAK'SIS'OKIE,  OAKSUS'KIE,  woakassisku ;  i.  e.,  "  winding,  marshy 
ground,"  "winding  boggy  swamp." 

OANAN'COCK  or  ONAN'COCK,  auwannaku  ;  i.  e.,  "  foggy  place;" 
the  name  of  a  town  in  Accomac  Co.,  Va. 

OB'SCOB:  This  word  means  either  "at  the  white  rock,"  or  "at 
the  narrow  passage  of  the  rocks;"  the  name  of  a  village  in  Conn., 
near  the  mouth  of  Oyster  river. 

OC'CAPOGUE,  accup — a  creek ;  the  name  of  a  stream  on  Long 
Island. 

OC^COHAN'NOCK,  woak-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "crooked,  winding  stream," 
"  a  stream  with  large  bends ;"  the  Indian  name  of  a  stream  in  Va. 

OC'COQUAN,  okhucquoan,  woakhucquon,  or  huckquoan ;  i.  e.,  "a 
hook,"  or  "  anything  bent  to  the  form  of  a  hook."  Some  say  the 
word  is  derived  from  shacqohocan — a  stone,  and  means  "stony 
creek."  This,  however,  is  very  doubtful.  The  word  is  the  name 
of  a  stream  in  Prince  William's  Co.,  Va. 

OCE'YEDAN,  or  ACEYEDAN  ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  weeping."  So  called 
by  the  Dakotas  because  of  weeping  there  the  death  of  some  of  their 
relatives ;  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Iowa  which  flows  into  the  Little 
Sioux  river. 

'    OCHISHAT'CHEE  ;  i.  e.,  "  hickory  leaf  river." 

OCKLOCKO'NEE  ;  i.  e.,  "  yellow  water  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in 
Fla. 


32  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

OCK'LOWAHA' ;  i.  e.,  "  muddy,  or  miry  place." 

OCMUL'GEE  or  OKMUL'GI,  oki — water,  mulgis — it  is  boiling;  i.  e., 
"boiling  water;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Ga. 

OHI'O,  ohui — very,  opeek — white  with  froth,  hanne — stream;  i.  e., 
"  the  stream  very  white  with  froth,"  or  "  the  stream  abounding  in 
white  caps."  The  foregoing  definition  is  given  by  Revd.  John 
Heckewelder.  Revd.  Christian  Fred  Post,  also  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians,  and  who  lived  with  the  Senecas  for  many  years  says 
this  word  is  derived  from  ohee-ye-ga-hun-da,  and  sig.  "good  river," 
or  "beautiful  river."  This  definition  being  identical  with  the 
name  given  the  Ohio  by  the  French,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  Mr. 
Post  merely  took  the  French  name  and  translated  it  into  Indian, 
thinking  it  a  French  translation  from  the  Indian  language.  Cer 
tainly  Mr.  Heckewelder,  who  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the 
Delaware  language,  and  who  resided  with  the  Indians  many  years 
on  the  banks  of  this  stream  could  not  be  mistaken.  Doubtless  the 
mineral  oils  which  are  now  so  important  an  item  of  trade  in  West 
ern  Penna.,  were  then  finding  their  way  to  the  surface  of  the  earth 
and  floating  on  the  fair  bosom  of  the  Ohio,  liable  at  any  moment 
to  be  blown  into  white  caps  by  southwesterly  winds. 

OHI'OPYLE  or  OHIOPLE,  ohiopihelle \  i.  e.,  "white  froth  upon  the 
water;"  the  name  of  a  cataract  on  the  Youghiogheny  River  in 
Fayette  Co.,  Pa. 

O'KECHO'BEE,  or  OKITCHO'BI;  i,  e.,  "large  water;"  the  name  of 
a  lake  in  the  southern  part  of  Florida. 

O'KI  ;  the  generic  term  for  water  in  the  Creek  language,  also  in 
the  Seminole  language  which  is  essentially  the  same  as  the  Creek. 
The  word  very  frequently,  as  a  suffix,  takes  the  form  okee,  kee  or 
ee. 

O'KIFENO'KEE;  i.  e.,  "  weaving,  shaking  water;"  the  name  of 
an  extensive  swamp  in  Ga. 

OK'LOKON'EE,  OCK'LOCKON'NEE,  oki — water,  lakni — yellow;  i.  e., 
"yellow  water;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Ga. 

OKO'NI,  or  OCO'NEE,  ekuoni ;  i.  e.,  "great,  large  water;"  the 
name  of  a  river  in  Ga. 


INDIAN   LOCAL    NAMES.  33 

O'LEY,  olink,  wahlink,  olo,  wahlo ;  i.  e.,  "a  cavern  or  cell," 
also  "a.  tract  of  land  encompassed  by  hills;"  now  the  name  of  a 
township  in  Berks  Co.,  Pa. 

O'MAHA;  from  the  Dakota  language  and  sig.  "up  stream;"  the 
name  of  a  city  in  Neb. 

ONEYAGI'NE,  oneya  ;  i.  e.,  "a  stone;"  the  Indian  name  of  Stone 
Creek,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y. 

ONONDA'GA;  i.  e.,  "a.  swamp  at  the  foot  of  a  hill;"  the  name 
of  a  shallow  lake  in  the  state  of  New  York. 

ONTA'RIO  ;  This  word  is  from  the  Wyandot  language,  and  is 
supposed  to  mean  "  how  beautiful  is  the  hill  or  rock  standing  in 
the  water."  It  is  thought  to  have  been  first  applied  to  some  spot 
near  Kingston,  where  the  Wyandots  resided  many  years.  The 
Mohawks  and  their  confederates  generally  called  this  lake  cad-ar- 
acqui.  The  term  Ontario,  however,  being  more  euphonious,  was 
finally  applied  by  Europeans  to  the  entire  lake.  Others  say  this 
word  is  derived  from  the  Mohawk  word  ska-no-da-rio,  and  sig. 
"beautiful  lake."  I  incline  to  the  latter  opinion. 

ONTON'AGON,  nin-do-nau-gon ;  i.  e.,  "my  dish."  This  name  is 
said  to  have  been  derived  in  the  following  somewhat  singular  man 
ner  :  At  the  mouth  of  this  river,  which  flows  into  Lake  Superior, 
there  is  a  small  bay  and  dead  water.  Into  and  out  of  this  bay  the 
water  of  the  lake  alternately  flows,  according  to  the  direction  ot 
the  wind  and  perhaps  other  causes.  On  one  occasion  an  Indian 
woman  had  left  her  wooden  dish  or  onagon,  on  the  sands  of  the 
shore  where  she  had  been  employed,  to  find  it,  upon  her  return, 
carried  away  by  the  swelling  tide.  Nai  nin  do  nau  gon  !  she  ex 
claimed.  That  is  to  say:  Alas  !  my  dish. 

OPEEHAN'EANAUGH\  opeek-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "stream  of  whitish 
color." 

OPELI'KA,  opilua — swamp,  laikata — to  be  stretched  out;  i.  e., 
"large  swamp,"  or  "  great  swamp ;"  at  present  the  name  of  a  town 
in  Russell  county,  Ala. 

OPELOU'SAS,  OPELU'SA.  This  word  is  said  to  mean  "  black  leg 
gings  or  moccasins  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  La. 


34  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

OP'ICON,  or  OP'QUAN,  opeekhan ;  i.  e.,  "a  stream  of  a  whitish 
color;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Va.,  flowing  into  the  Potomac. 

OPIL'LAKO,  opilua — swamp,  lako — large;  i.  e.,  "large  swamp;" 
the  name  of  a  stream  flowing  into  Flint  river,  Ga. 

OPILOUS'S^S,  OQUELOUS'SAS;  i.  e.,  " black  water." 

ORINO'CO;  said  to  mean  "coiled  serpent;"  the  name  of  one  of 
the  largest  rivers  in  South  America. 

OSTANAU'LA,  or  ESTAN'ULA;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  of  overtaking." 

OSWE'YA  CREEK,  utschija;  i.  e.,  "place  of  flies;"  the  name  of 
a  tributary  of  the  Allegheny  river  in  McKean  county,  Pa. 

OT'TAWA,  ah-tah-way]  i.  e.,  "a  trader,"  or  "he  trades;"  the 
name  of  a  river  in  Canada. 

OUHE'GEE,  ahiki ;  i.  e.,  "to  look  up  stream." 

OWOB'OP'TA  ;  i.  e.,  "  where  they  dig  roots  ;"  the  name  of  one  of 
the  largest  northern  tributaries  of  the  Minnesota,  called  by  the 
French  Pomme  de  Terra,  and  by  the  Dakotas  Teepsinna,  which 
words  are  the  names  in  those  languages  of  the  roots  dug  there  for 
food. 

OWOTAN'NA  WAK'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "  straight  river;"  the  name  of  a  trib 
utary  of  the  Cannon  river  in  Minn.,  commonly  written  owaton'na. 

OXOBOX'O,  OXYBOX'Y,  ogusse-paug — small  pond,  suck — outlet ;  i. 
e.,  "the  brook  which  flows  out  of  the  small  pond  ;"  the  name  of  a 
small  stream  near  Montville,  Conn. 

P. 

PACH'AUG,  flat/iatt-au&e ;  i.  e.,  "a  turning  place;"  the  name  of 
a  river  in  Conn. 

PAHAWAK'AN;  i.  e.,  "  the  sacred  hills,"  or  "the  sacred  round- 
topped  hills."  This  name  is  applied  to  several  high^mound-like 
hills  in  Dakota,  called  also  medicine  hills. 

PAINT  CREEK,  IN  Cambria  Co.,  Pa.,  was  called  by  the  Delawares 
wallamink ;  i.  e.,  "  where  there  is  paint." 

PA'JUTAZEE;  i.  e.,  "yellow  root;"  the  name  of  a  western  branch 
of  the  Minn.,  often  called  "  Yellow  Medicine." 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  35 

PAKIO'MA;  i.  e.,  "  where  the  cranberries  grow." 

ink,  or  paki  omink  ;  i.  e.,  "  at  the  cranberry 


place." 

PALATKA  or  PILATKA  ;  i.  e.,  "spilled,"  "thrown  down;"  the 
name  of  a  town  in  Fla.,  on  the  St.  John's  river. 

PAMUN'KY  \pihmunga;  i.  e.,  "where  we  were  sweating,"  or  "in* 
the  sweat-house  where  we  sweated  ;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Va^ 

PAS'CAGOU'LA,  paska  —  bread,  ogoulas,  from  ok/a  —  nation;  i.  e., 
"  bread  nation."  The  name  was  first  applied  to  a  tribe  of  Indians 
who  settled  near  Mobile  ;  the  name  of  a  river  in  the  S.  E.  part  of 
Miss. 

PASSA'IC,  passajeek  ;  i.  e.,  "a  valley;"   the  name  seems  to  refe 
rather  to  the  country  through  which  the  river  flows  than  to  the  river 
itself;  the  name  of  a  river  of  N.  J. 

PASSAMAQUOD'DY.  This  word  has  been  variously  translated.  In 
1828,  Revd.  Elijah  Killroy  gave  as  its  meaning  "pollock  fish,"  and 
Revd.  Mr.  Rara  translates  peshemoo-kwoddy  as  "pollock  ground;" 
the  name  of  a  bay  at  the  S.  E.  extremity  of  Maine. 

¥A.iAT?s'co,patapsqut  ;  i.  e.,  "back  water,"  or  "  tide  water  con 
taining  froth,"  or  "a  long  deep  stretch  in  a  stream  caused  by  back 
or  tide  water  containing  froth  ;"  the  name  of  the  river  upon  which 
the  city  of  Baltimore  stands. 

PATCHOG'UE,  (pathdg1  ,}  pauochauog  ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  where  they 
gamble  and  dance;"  a  town  of  Suffolk  Co.,  N.  Y.,  near  the  south 
ern  shore  of  Long  Island. 

PATKASK'ADEN  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  tortoise  or  turtle;"  the  name  of  a 
western  tributary  of  the  Dakota. 

PAT'TAQUONK;  i.  e.,  "round  place,"  meaning  an  Indian's  wig 
wam  or  sweating-house,  or  possibly  only  "  round  hill."  At  pres 
ent  the  name  of  a  hill  near  Saybrook,  Conn. 

PATUXENT  or  PATUXET  ;  from  the  same  root  as  Pawtuxent,  which 
see  ;  the  name  of  a  river  in  Md. 

PAUPON'AMING,  papennamink;  i.  e.,  "at  the  place  where  we  were 
grazing." 


36  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

PAU'TIKAUG.  This  word  is  supposed  to  sig.  "boggy  meadows," 
"  miry  land  ;"  the  name  of  a  district  in  Conn. 

PAWAT'ING  was  the  Chippewa  name  for  the  falls  of  Sault  St.  Marie, 
and  means  "  the  falls,"  or  "at  the  place  of  the  noise." 

PAWHATAN',  or  PAWATAN',  pauat-hanne  ;  i.  e.,  at  or  near  the 
falls  of  the  stream."  From  the  falls  of  the  James  river,  near  where 
Richmond  now  stands,  named  as  above,  Capt.  John  Smith  says  the 
great  king  Powhatan  took  his  name. 

PAWTUCK'ET;  i.  e.,  "the  falls,"  or  "  at  the  falls;"  the  name  of 
a  river  of  Rhode  Island  having  on  it  a  fall  of  50  ft.,  from  which  it 
is  supposed  it  took  its  name.  Above  this  fall  the  river  takes  the 
name  of  the  Black  Stone,  and  below  the  fall,  the  Seekonk. 

PAWTUX'ET,  or  PAUTUXKT  ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  little  falls  ;"  the  name 
of  a  river  in  Rhode  Island  abounding  in  valuable  mill-seats. 

PAX'TON,  peeks-  tunk  ;  i.  e.,  "  place  of  standing  or  dead  water;" 
the  name  of  a  creek  in  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa. 

PEGU'MOCK,  peek-hanne  :  i.  e.,  "dark  stream;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  N.  J. 

PEM'APACK  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  pemmapecka,  which 
see 


PEMMAPKCK'A,  A1'^7/^'/  i-  e.,  "a  pond,  lake  or  bog,"  or  "water 
not  having  a  current." 

PEN'NEPACK  ;  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  Pemmapecka,  which 
see;  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Philad.  Co.,  Pa.,  flowing  into  the  Dela 
ware. 

PENOB'SCOT,  panaooa-bskek,  or  pe-noom-ske-ook  :  i.  e.,  "at  the 
falls  of  the  rock,"  or  "  at  the  descending  rock."  The  name  was 
originally  applied  by  the  Knglish  to  a  locality  on  the  river,  and 
probably  the  Indian  name  of  the  river  is  lost.  The  word  seems  to 
have  been  the  Indian  name  of  Old  Town  Falls,  a  village  en  the 
river.  It  would  seem  a  better  corruption  of  the  Indian  name  would 
be  Penobscook  ;  the  name  of  one  of  the  largest  rivers  in  Me. 

PENSACO'LA,  pan-sha-okla  ;  a  Choctaw  word  sig.  "  hair  people  ;" 
at  present  the  name  of  a  city  and  bay  in  Fia. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  37 

PEQUAB'UCK,  supposed  to  mean  "  clear  or  open  pond  ;"  the  name 
of  a  river  in  Conn.  The  name  was  doubtless  transferred  from  the 
pond  at  its  source. 

PEQTJAN'NOCK  ;  i.  e.,  "a  clearing,"  or  "  cleared  land  ;"  the  name 
of  a  town  in  Morris  Co.,  X.  J. 

PEOUOD,  or  PEQUOT,  pcquttoog,  or  paquatauog  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  de 
stroyers  ;"  the  name  of  a  warlike  tribe  of  Indians  that  formerly  in 
habited  New  England. 

PER'KIO'MEN,  pakihm-ink ;  i.  e.,  "cranberry-place;"  the  name 
of  a  creek  in  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna. 

PESCAT'TAWAY,  wapees — white,  kowat  or  quaat — a  pine  tree,  or 
the  place  of  the  pine  tree;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of  the  white  pine 
tree;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  Middlesex  Co.,  X.  J. 

PEWAK'PA;  i.  e..  "Elm  river;"  the  name  of  a  western  branch 
of  the  Dakota  river. 

PICCOWAX'EN,  pixuwaxen ;  i.  e.,  "torn  shoes;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Md. 

PINE  CREEK,  in  Penna.  was  called  by  the  Indians  cuwen-hanne  ; 
i.  e.,  "the  stream  that  flows  through  pine  trees,"  or  "Pine  Creek." 

PISCAS'SET,  wapees — white,  asstn,  or  quassin — a  stone;  i.  e.., 
"  white  stone  ;  "  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Me. 

PISCAT'AWAY,  pisgattauwi ;  i.  e.,  "it  is  darkening,"  "  growiiug 
dark  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Prince  George's  Co.,  Md. 

PIS'TEPAUG,  pishaggua-paug  ;  i.  e,  "muddy  or  miry  pool."' 
This  name  has  been  transferred  to  a  mountain  in  Conn.  Doubt 
less  originally  the  name  of  a  lake  or  pool  in  the  vicinity. 

PITTSKURG,  PA.  This  place  was  called  by  the  Indians,  after  its 
occupation  by  the  French,  menachk-sink ;  i.  e.,  "where  there  is  a 
fence,"  "an  enclosure,"  in  allusion  to  the  fortifications. 

PLAY'WICKY,  phieuwikcchtit ;  i.  e.,  "the  habitation  of  those  of 
the  turkey  tribe." 

PLUMB  CR.  in  W.  Penna.  was  called  by  the  Indians  spuas-hanne,  or 

spuas-ink ;  i.  e.,  "  plumb  stream,"  or  "at  the  place  of  the  plumbs." 

POCAS'SET;    i.   e.,  the  place  "where  a  strait  widens  out ;"  the 


38  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

name  of  a  village  in  Mass.     This  name  occurs  frequently  in  New 
England. 

PO'CHAUG,  pohshaog;  i.  e.,  ''where  they  divide"  in  two;  the 
place  where  the  Pochaug  and  Manunkateset  rivers  meet  in  Conn. 

POCHOUGOULA;  i.  e.,  "pond  lily  people  ;"  the  name  originally 
of  a  tribe  of  Natchez  Indians. 

PO'COHAN'TAS,  or  PO'CAHON'TAS,  pockohantes ;  i.  e.,  "streamlet 
between  two  hills;"  compounded  of  pochko — a  rocky  hill,  and 
hanne — stream  ;  the  latter  root  rendered  a  diminutive  by  the  suffix 
tes.  The  Princess  Pocahontas  doubtless  derived  her  name  from 
this  stream  ;  at  present  the  name  of  a  town  in  S.  W.  Va. 

WcQUQ-KEtpockhammokik;  i.  e.,  "knobby,"  "broken  by  knobs 
and  hills  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Md. 

PO'CONO,  or  PO'KONO, poko-hanne  ;  i.  e.,  "a  stream  issuing  from 
a  mountain,"  or  "running  between  two  mountains."  The  Broad 
Mountain,  south  of  Scranton,  Pa.,  receives  its  name  of  Pdcono 
from  a  stream  of  the  same  name  contiguous  thereto. 

POCO'SEN,  or  POCCOS'EN.  This  word  is  supposed  to  be  derived 
from  pduck-assin ;  i.  e.,  "a  place  where  balls,  bullets  or  lead  was 
to  be  had ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Va. 

POCOTO'PAUG,  pohqutae-paug  ;  i.  e.,  "divided  pond;"  the  name 
of  a  large  pond  in  Chatham,  Conn.,  nearly  divided  in  two  parts, 
connected  only  by  a  short  and  narrow  strait. 

PO'HOP'OKA,  pockhapocka;  i.  e.,  "two  mountains  butting  with 
their  ends  against  each  other,  with  a  stream  of  water  between,"  as 
in  the  case  of  the  Lehigh  Water  Gap ;  now  the  name  of  a  stream  in 
Carbon  county,  Pa.,  flowing  into  the  Lehigh  river. 

POKETO,  pack  gita  :  i.  e.,  "throw  it  away,"  "abandon  it,"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Allegheny  county,  Pa. 

PO^KOMO'KA,  pocqueumoke ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  shell  fish;"  the  In 
dian  name  of  a  river  in  Md. 

POMVPERUNG',  POMPERAUG'  ;  this  word  probably  means  "  place  of 
offering,"  or  "  place  of  contributing  ;"  now  the  name  of  a  river  in 
Conn. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  39 

POMPTON,  pihmton;;  i.  e.,  "  crooked  mouthed  ;  "the  name  of  a 
small  river  in  N.  J. 

PONTOOSUC,  powntuk-suck ;  i.  e.,  "  falls  on  the  brook."  A  hill 
in  Glastonbury,  Conn.,  now  bears  this  name. 

POPOCATEPETL,  i.  e.,  "smoking  mountain,"  or  "  the  hill  that 
smokes ;"  the  name  of  a  noted  volcano  of  Mexico. 

POPON'OMING,  papennamink  ;  i.  e.,  "where  we  are  gazing;"  the 
name  of  a  small  lake  in  Monroe  Co.,  Pa. 

POQUES'SON,  or  POQUISSING,  poques-ink ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  place 
abounding  in  mice  ;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

POQUON'OCK,  or  POQUONNOC;  i.  e.,  "  cleared  land ;"  the  name 
of  a  village  near  Farmington  river,  Conn. 

POQUETAN'NOC  ;  i.  e.,  "land  opened  or  broken  up,"  "land 
ready  for  planting;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  Conn. 

PORT  TOBACCO,  pootuppag;  i.  e.,  "a  bay,  or  cove;"  the  name 
of  an  inlet  on  the  Potomac  river  in  Md. 

POTICH,  poduch,  or  poftuck ;  i.  e.,  "round;"  the  name  of  one  of 
the  plains  in  Catskill  Co.,  N.  Y. 

POTO'MAC,  potowmak,  or  petahmok ;  i.  e.,  "they  are  coming  by 
water;"  "drawing  near  in  crafts  or  canoes;"  the  name  of  a  large 
river  forming  the  boundary  line  between  Md.  and  Va. 

PSIM'MDSE  ;  i.  e.,  "rice  lake;"  the  name  of  several  lakes  in  Minn, 
so  called  from  the  wild  rice  growing  on  their  banks. 

PTANSIN'TA;  i.  e.,  "otter  tail;"  the  name  of  a  peninsula  between 
Lac  Traverse  and  the  Minn,  river,  so  called  from  its  resemblance 
to  that  organ. 

PTANS'KA  ;  i.  e.,  "white  otter;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  Iowa. 

PUCK'AWAY;  i.  e.,  "cat-tail  flag;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  Wis., 
an  expansion  of  the  Neenah  River. 

PUCKIS'TA, pachgisa ;  i.  e.,  "throw  it  away,"  "  abandon  it." 

PUNGOTE'QUE,  or  PUNGOTEA'QUE,  punghatteke ;  i.  e.,  "the  place 
of  powder. "  In  the  Delaware  language  the  word  pung  sig.  powder, 
also  ashes,  dust  and  fine  sand.  Owing  to  the  extremely  sandy 


40  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

character  of  the  country,  it  is  highly  probable  the  Indians  in  this 
case  intended  the  word  to  sig.  not  the  place  of  powder,  but  rather 
the  place  of  fine  sand  or  dust ;  the  name  of  a  town  and  island  in 
Accomac  Co.,  Va. 

PUNXUTAW'NEY,  PONKSUTENEY  ;  i.  e.,  "habitation  of  sand- 
flies;"  the  name  of  a  town  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Pa. 

PY'MATU'ING,  pihmtomink ;  i.  e.,  "the  crooked-mouthed  man's 
dwelling  place,"  or  "the  dwelling  place  of  the  man  with  the 
crooked  mouth;"  the  name  of  a  tributary  of  the  Chenango  river 
in  Mercer  Co.,  Pa. 

Q. 

QUAD'DIC  ;  a  corruption  Qi  patta-quottuck  ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  round 
place  on  the  tide  water  ;"  the  name  of  a  village  in  Conn. 

QUAKEKE,  cuwenkeek,  or  kuwenkeek;  i.  e.,  "pine  lands;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Carbon  Co.,  Pa. 

QUANTICO.  If  this  is  the  same  as  Guentico,  gentican,  it  mean,s 
"dancing,"  "place  of  frolicking  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  in-Md. 

QUASSA'ICK,  quassuck — a  rock,  ink — place;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of 
the  rock;"  the  Indian  name  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y.  The  location 
of  the  town  on  a  high  rocky  bluff  justifies  the  name. 

QUEBEC,  kebic ;  i.  e.;  "  the  fearful  rocky  cliff."  Some  say  this 
word  was  derived  from  the  French  phrase  Quel  bee — what  a  beak  ! 
Others  say  it  was  imported  by  the  French  from  Brittany. 

QUEMAHONING,  cuwei-mahotii ;  i.  e.,  "pine  tree  lick;"  the 
name  of  a  branch  of  the  Conemaugh,  in  Somerset  Co.,  Pa. 

QUEN'ISCH-ACHACH-GEK-HAN'NE  or  QUENISCHASCH'AC'KI ;  i.  e., 
"  the  long  reach  river,"  or  "  the  long  way  straight  river ;"  the  In 
dian  name  for  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  Revd.  John 
Heckewelder  says  the  word  SUSQUEHANNA  is  a  corruption  of  this 
word,  and  that  this  name  was  applied  to  the  entire  stream  by  the 
Delawares.  The  name  was  suggested  by  the  long  straight  stretch 
in  the  West  Branch  west  of  Williamsport. 

QUENISCH-ACHACH'-KI  ;  "a  long  way  straight."  This  was  the 
Indian  name  for  the  "Long  Reach"  in  the  West  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  above  Williamsport,  Pa. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  4! 

QUEPON'CO,  cuwenponga ;  i.  e.,  "ashes  of  pine  woods;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Md. 

QUID'NIC,  aqueednuk.  This  word  means  either  "  the  place  at 
the  end  of  the  hill;"  or  "  the  place  beyond  the  hill ;"  the  name  at 
present  of  a  small  river  in  R.  I. 

QUILUTAM'END  ;  i.  e.,  "we  came  upon  them  unawares;"  the 
name  of  a  spot  in  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  lying  between  the  Susquehanna 
river  and  a  mountain,  where  the  Delawaressay  they  surprised  a  body 
of  Indians  of  the  Five  Nations  and  defeated  them. 

QUIN'AMOGUE.  This  word  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of 
quinri -amaug ;  \.  e.,  "long  fish  place,"  or  the  place  where  lam 
preys  (long  fish)  are  taken  ;  the  name  of  a  locality  near  Charles- 
town,  R.  I. 

QUING  QUIN'GUS,  quin-quin&iis ;  i.  e.,  "  duck  and  mullet." 

QUITOPAHIE'TA  or  QUITOPOHEL'LA,  cuispehelle,  or  cuwispehella; 

"  a  spring  that  issues  out  of  the  earth  where  there  are  pine  trees 
standing  ;"   the  name  of  a  stream  in  Lebanon  Co.,  Pa. 

R. 

RACCOON  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.  was  called  by  the  Indians  nache- 
num-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "raccoon  stream." 

RAPPAHAN'NOCK,  lappihanne ;  i.  e.,  "the  current  Ins  returned 
or  flowed  again;"  or  where  the  tide  water  flows  and  ebbs ;  the 
name  of  a  stream  in  Va. 

RED  STONE  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.  was  called  by  the  Indians  mach- 
kach-sin-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "red  stone  stream." 

RESTIGOUCHE,  (res'-tef-god-shd};  i.  e.,  "  the  river  which  divides 
like  the  hand;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  British  America  forming 
the  northern  boundary  of  N.  B.,  so  called  because  a  short  distance 
above  its  point  of  discharge  into  the  Bay  of  Chaleur  it  divides  like 
the  hand  into  five  branches. 

ROCK'AWAY  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  reckaivackes,  or  acke- 
wek ;  i.  e.,  "bushy,"  or  "difficult  to  cross  ;"  the  name  of  a  river 

in  N.  J. 


42  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

ROM'OPACK  ;  Possibly  this  word  is  derived  from  wulumipeek — "a 
round  pond  or  lake  of  fine  white  colored  water. 

s. 

SA'CO,  sauk-sagook ;  i.  e.,  ''pouring  out."  The  root  sig.  the 
place  of  discharge  or  pouring  out  of  a  river  or  lake  ;  the  name  of  a 
river  in  Maine. 

SAG'INAW'  RIVER,  sauk-sahcoon ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  mouth,"  or 
"pouring  out  at  the  mouth."  The  Saginaw  river  discharges 
through  Saginaw  bay  into  Lake  Huron ;  the  bay  forming  the  place 
where  the  river  pours  out  into  the  lake.  Very  probably  the  bay 
gave  name  to  the  river;  that  is,  the  Europeans  gave  the  same  name 
to  the  river  which  they  found  attached  to  the  bay ;  the  name  of  a 
river  in  Michigan. 

SALT  LICK  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.  was  called  by  the  Indians 
sikhewt-md-honi,  or  sik-hei-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "salt  lick  stream,"  or  "a 
stream  flowing  from  a  salt  lick." 

SANDY  LICK  is  a  translation  from  segauwi-mahoni,  the  name  of  a 
stream  in  Venango  Co.,  Pa. 

SANKIN'AK,  or  SANKIN'ACK,  sank-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "flint  stone 
stream  ;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Penna. 

SARATO'GA,  seitake :  i.  e.,  "  on  the  heel;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in 
N.  Y.  A  very  good  authority  asserts  that  the  sig.  of  this  word  is 
lost. 

SAS'CO  ;  supposed  to  mean  "  marshy  land,"  or  "swamp;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Westport,  Conn. 

SASKATCHEWAN';  i.  e.,  "the  swift  current;"  the  name  of  a 
river  in  Manitoba',  B.  A. 

SAS'SAFRAS  river  is  a  translation  from  winak-hanne.  The  stream 
to  which  the  name  applies  is  in  the  N.  E.  part  of  Md. 

SAU'CON,  or  SACON'NA,  sacunk ;  i.  e.,  "  the  outlet ;"  the  name  of 
a  creek  in  Northampton  Co.,  Pa. 

SAU'GATUCK'  ;  see  Sawahquat'ock  ;  the  name  of  a  small  river  in 
Conn. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  43 

SAU'KUNK;  i.  e.,  "at  the  mouth;"  that  is  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Big  Beaver  river  where  it  flows  into  the  Ohio.  This  spot  was  a 
well  known  rendezvous  for  Indian  war  parties. 

SAWAHQUATOCK,  SAWKATUCKET,  or  SAQUATUCKET, sauke-tiik;  i.  e., 
"at  the  mouth  of  the  tidal  stream." 

SCAN'TIC;  supposed  to  be  derived  from pe skatnk  ;  i.  e.,  "  where 
the  river  branches  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  and  town  in  Conn. 

SCHAKAMAX'ENS,  or  SHACKAMAX'ON,  schach-ame-sink  ;  i.  e.,  "the 
place  of  eels :"  the  name  of  a  locality  near  Kensington,  Philad. 

SCHENEC'TADY  j  i.  e.,  "  over  or  beyond  the  pines;"  the  name  of 
a  town  on  the  Mohawk  river,  N.  Y.  In  early  colonial  times  there 
was  a  portage  from  Fort  Orange,  or  Albany  on  the  Hudson,  across 
the  peninsula  formed  by  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  to  this  point, 
•Schenectady,  which  led  through  pine  forests  :  whence  the  name. 
Others  say  this  word  is  derived  from  ska-ncli-fa-de,  and  sig.  "  be 
yond  the  openings." 

SCHO'HACAN'INK  ;  i.  e.<  "  the  place  of  glue  ;"  or  "  where  glue  is 
made." 

SCHOHA'RIE  CREEK,  sko-har-Ie — float  wood ;  the  name  of  a  creek 
in  a  county  of  the  same  name  in  N.  Y. 

SCHOHO'LA,  or  SHOHO'LA,  schauwihilla;  i.  e.,  "weak,"  "  faint," 
"distressed;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Pike  Co.,  Pa. 

SCHUYL'KILL,  ganshowe-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "the  roaring  stream;"  the 
name  of  a  river  in  E.  Penna.  Others  say  the  word  is  of  Dutch  or 
igin  and  sig.  "  the  hidden  stream."  For  this  dif.  see  the  author's 
work  on  local  names  in  general. 

SCIT'ICO;  i.  e.,  "at  the  branch;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in 
Conn.,  on  the  Scantic  river. 

SEBETH'E  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  sepoese — "  small  river  ;" 
the  name  of  a  river  in  Middletown,  Conn. 

SEM'IXOLE,  isti-simanole ;  i.  e.,  "separatist,"  or  "runaway;" 
the]name  given  to  those  who  separated,  or  ran  away  from  the  Creeks. 
Albert  Gallatin  says  the  word  sig.  "  wild  men,"  because  they  sub 
sisted  largely  by  hunting  and  fishing,  while  the  Creeks  generally 
were  engaged  in  agriculture  and  subsisted  largely  by  it. 


44  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

SENE'GAR,  sinnikc ;  i.  e.,  "stony;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Md. 
(Sinne-hanne — stony  stream.) 

SEN'EGAR  FALLS,  was  called  by  the  Indians  sinne-pchelle ;  i.  e., 
"water  rushing  over  stones." 

SENSIN'IK,  assin — a  stone,  ick — place  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  of  the 
stone,"  or  perhaps  more  properly  "  the  stony  place  ;"  the  name  of 
a  locality  in  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y. 

SERECH'EN,  silehend,  or  sinue-hund  ;  i.  e.,  "where  they  milk." 

SHAK'OPEE  ;  i.  e.,  "  six  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  on  the  Minnesota 
river,  called  after  a  chief  of  that  name  who  formerly  dwelt  there. 

SHAMO'KIN,  schahamoki,  or  schahamo-kink  ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  of 
eels;"   the  name  of  the  spot  where  Sunbury,  Pa.,  now  stands;  also 
the  name  of  a  creek  flowing  into  the  Susquehanna  at  Sunbury. 
SHAMUNK,  wschummonk  ;  i.  e.,  "  a  place  of  a  horn." 
SHAN'NOCK,  shawwunk  ;   the  "  place  where  two  streams  meet ;" 
the  name  of  a  river  in  North  Stonington,  Conn.,  formed  by  a  union 
of  the  Assekonk  and  Phelps's  creeks,  in  Milltown  village. 

SHAN'TUCK  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  mishuntugket ;  i.  e., 
"  the  place  of  much  wood,"  a  location  near  Montville  Conn. 

SHAN'TITUCK.  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  woody  place  ;"  the  name  of  a  small 
stream  in  R.  I. 

SHAWNEES',  shawenu  ;  i.  e.,  "the  southern  people."  This  word 
is  derived  from  the  Lenappe  language.  The  word  Showan  or 
Chowan — the  name  of  a  river  in  N.  C.,  possibly  comes  from  the 
same  root. 

SHEBOY'GAN,  showbwa-way-gum ;  i.  e.,  "the  river  that  comes 
out  of  the  ground  ;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Wisconsin. 

SHEN'ANDO'AH,  schind-han-dowi ;  "  the  sprucy  stream,"  or  "  the 
stream  passing  by  or  through  spruce  pines."  There  is  another  de 
finition  to  this  word  derived  from  ononda — a  mountain,  and  goa — 
great,  and  sig.  a  river  flowing  alongside  of  high  hills  or  mountains. 
These  latter  roots  are  of  Iriquoi  origin,  and  as  there  is  no  evidence 
that  the  Iriquoi  Indians  ever  inhabited  the  banks  of  this  stream,  or 
even  visited  the  region  it  traverses,  very  often,  it  is  not  likely  they 
are  the  origin  of  the  word. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  45 

SHEPAUG',  shippaug ;  i.  e.,  "great  pond."  This  river  rises  in  a 
pond  in  Conn.,  known  as  great  pond,  and  doubtless  the  Indian 
name  of  the  pond  has  been  transferred  to  the  river. 

SHICAWAK'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "  bad  river  ;"  called  also  Teton,  and  Little 
Missouri  river  ;  the  name  of  a  river  in  Arkansas. 

SHIN'TAKA;  i.  e.,  "tamarack;"  the  name  of  several  marshes  in 
Minnesota.  So  named  on  account  of  the  tamarack  growing  spon 
taneously  in  them. 

SHIP'PAUG;  i.  e.,  "great  pond;"  said  to  have  been  the  Indian 
name  of  Litchfield  Pond  in  Connecticut. 

SHKOT'PA  ;  i.  e.,  "hollow,"  or  "blow;.'"  the  name  of  a  lake  in 
Minnesota,  now  called  White  Bear  Lake. 

SHOHO'KIN,  schohacan,  i.  e.,  "glue;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in 
Wayne  Co.,  Pa. 

SHOHOLA  ;  from  schauwihilla ;  i.  e..  "weak,"  "faint,"  "de 
pressed;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Pike  Co.,  Pa. 

SHUM'MOCK;   i.  e.,  "the  place  of -the  horn." 

SINNEMAHO'NING,  achsinnimahoni ;  i.e.,  "stony  lick,"  or  "the 
place  of  the  stony  lick;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Cameron  Co., 
Penna. 

SISSOWKIS'SINK,  shilmwen — a  duck,  ugissit — black,  ink — place,  or 
locality;  i.  e.,  "  the  place  of  the  black  duck,"  the  name  of  a  creek 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Delaware  river  in  Penna. 

SKANEAT'ARES  ;  i.  e.,  "long  lake." 

SKIP'PACK,  schkipuk ;  i.  e.,  "stinking  pool  of  water;"  the  name 
of  a  creek  in  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa. 

SLIPPERY  ROCK,  a  translation  from  wesch-ach-ach-apuch-ka  ;  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  W.  Penna. 

Sooo,  sa-iika ;  i.  e.,  "rattle,"   "  gourd  rattle." 

STONY  CREEK  in  Somerset  Co.,  Pa.,  was  called  by  the  Indians 
sinne -hanne ;  i.  e.,  "stony  stream." 

SUPERIOR  LAKE  was  called  by  the  Indians  gitch-igomee ;  i.  e., 
"  big  sea  water." 


46  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

SUSPECOUGH  ;  supposed  to  mean  "  muddy,  dirty  water;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  N.  J. 

SUWA'NEE  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  Creek  word  sawani 
— echo,  and  sig.  "echo  river;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Florida ; 
also  the  name  of  a  town  and  creek  in  the  northern  part  of  Georgia. 

T. 

TACON'IC;  supposed  to  mean  ''forest,"  or  "  wilderness;"  the 
name  of  a  mountain  range  in  Mass.,  west  of  the  Housatonic  River. 

TAL'LADE'GA,  italua — town,  atigi — at  the  end,  on  the  border; 
i.  e.,  "the  border  town,"  or  "the  town  on  the  frontier;"  the  name 
of  a  village  in  Talladega  Co.,  Alabama.  I  cannot  say  that  the 
name  was  first  applied  to  this  spot,  but  very  probably  it  was  not. 

TAL'LAHAS'SEE,  italua — town  or  nation,  hassi — old;  i.  e.,  "old 
nation,"  "old  town,"  "waste  place,"  "vacated;"  the  name  of 
the  Capital  of  Florida. 

TAL'LAPOO'SA;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  Creek  talepu"1  la', 
i.  e.,  "stranger,"  "newcomer,"  alluding  to  the  arrival  of  other 
Indian  tribes,  or  a  tribe;  the  name  of  a  river  of  Ga. 

TAMA'QUA,  tamaque-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "beaver  stream;"  the  name  of 
a  creek  in  Schuylkill  Co.,  Pa. 

TAM'PA,  itimpi ;  i.  e.,  "close  to  it,"  "near  it;"  the  name  of  a 
bay  on  the  west  coast  of  the  peninsula  of  Fla.;  named  by  De  Soto, 
Espiritu  Santo. 

TAN'GIPAHA';  the  name  of  a  river  in  the  S.  £.  part  of  La.;  named 
after  an  Indian  tribe,  and  sig.  "those  who  gather  maize  stalks." 

TAXGOMOCK'ONOMIN'GO,  tangamochkomennunga  ;  i.  e.,  "the  bark 
for  the  medicine." 

TANKHAN'NA,  or  TANKHAN'NE;  i.  e.,  "the  smaller  stream;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  E.  Penna. 

TAP'PAN,  thoppek-hanne ;  i.  e. ,  "cold  stream;"  the  name  is  now 
applied  to  an  expansion  of  the  Hudson  River  between  Rockland 
and  Westchester  counties,  N.  Y.  Probably  a  stream  flowing  into 
this  lake  has  given  to  it  its  present  name. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  47 

TAT'NICK;  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  Kt-adene-k;  i.  e., 
"at  the  great  hill;"  the  name  of  a  hill  and  brook  in  Worcester 
Co.,  Mass. 

TAUNTON  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  tetiquet  or  zeticut.  The 
sig.  of  these  roots,  however,  seem  to  be  lost,  and  I  give  the  word 
with  its  roots  merely  to  show  how  completely  many  Indian  words 
have  been  disguised  by  phonetic  changes,  or  corruption  ;  the  name 
of  a  river  in  Mass. 

TELMOCRES'SES,  talua-mutchasi ;  i.e.,  "new  town;"  the  name 
of  an  Indian  town  on  the  west  side  of  the  Chattahoochee  River. 

TEMEGAM'E;  i.  e.,  "deep  lake;"  the  name  of  a  lake  that  dis 
charges  its  waters  into  the  Ottawa  River,  Canada. 

TE'TON  ;  i.  e.,  "dwellers  on  the  prairie ; "  the  name  of  a  clan  of 
Dakota  Indians. 

THUPPEKHAN'NE;  i.  e.,  "stream  flowing  from  large  springs." 

TIM'OGA:  i.  e.,  "lord,"  "ruler,"  "master;"  the  name  of  an  old 
Indian  town  on  a  tributary  of  the  St.  John's,  Fla. 

TIO'GA  ;  For  this  word  there  are  several  definitions,  arising,  pos 
sibly,  from  a  confounding  of  roots,  or  a  misapprehension  of  the 
particular  root  from  which  the  word  is  derived.  One  authority 
says  the  word  is  derived  from  teoga,  and  sig.  "swift  current  excit 
ing  admiration."  Another  very  good  authority,  N.  T.  True,  Esq., 
of  Bethel,  Me.,  says  it  is  derived  from  teyaogen — an  interval,  or 
anything  in  the  middle  or  between  two  things.  Hence  tei-ohoho- 
gen — "the  forks  of  a  stream,"  or  "the  place  where  two  rivers 
meet,"  that  is,  the  point  between  them.  This  would  very  properly 
apply  to  the  place  where  Northumberland,  Pa.,  now  stands,  in  the 
fork  made  by  the  North  and  West  branches  of  the  Susquehanna  at 
their  place  of  meeting. 

Revd.  John  Heckewelder,  however,  says  the  word  is  derived  from 
tiagoa,  an  Iriquoi  word,  and  sig.  "a  gateway,"  or  "a  place  to 
enter  in  at."  It  seems  the  Iriquoi  Indians  claimed  all  the  country 
lying  north  and  west  of  those  two  branches  of  the  Susquehanna, 
whilst  the  country  south  of  them  was  conceded  to  belong  to  the 
Dela  wares. 

Owing  to  the  physical  features  of  the  country,  the  point  at  the 


48  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAME'S. 

junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Susquehanna  alluded  to  above, 
was  the  most  convenient  place  for  intercommunication  between  the 
territory  of  those  two  families  of  Indians.  Of  so  much  importance 
was  this  place  considered  as  a  highway  for  intercommunication,  that 
Rev.  David  Zeisberger,  a  missionary,  who  as  early  as  1750  traveled 
through  this  pass  or  gateway,  says  that  a  tribe  of  Iriquoi  Indians 
was  stationed  here  to  challenge  all  who  attempted  to  pass  through 
into  their  country;  and  that  they  considered  all  persons  found  in 
their  country  who  did  not  enter  it  by  this  gate,  or  by  way  of  the 
Mohawk,  suspicious  characters,  and  treated  them  as  spies  or  ene 
mies. 

The  probability  is  all  three  authorities  referred  to  above  translate 
corectly  each  his  own  root,  and  that  all  three  original  words  are 
now  represented  orthographically  by  the  same  simple  word  tioga, 
each,  however,  having  a  sig.  and  originally  a  locality  of  its  own,  as 
a  local  name,  since  we  have  the  word  as  the  name  of  a  tributary  of 
the  Chemung  river  near  Elmira,  N.  Y.  This,  however,  could  cer 
tainly  not  have  been  the  word  referred  to  by  Mr.  Heckewelder, 
who  was  stationed  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  who  labored  exclusively 
I  believe  with  the  Delaware  Indians.  Moreover,  he  says  positively 
the  word  translated  by  him  was  the  name  of  the  place  where 
Northumberland,  Pa.,  now  stands,  and  that  it  was  given  to  it  by 
the  Six  Nations. 

TIOGA,  from  teoga ;  i.  e.,  "swift  current;"  the  name  of  a  river 
in  Tioga  county,  Pa.,  flowing  into  the  Chemung  river  in  N.  Y. 

TIORONDA;  this  word  probably  means  "the  place  where  two 
waters  meet;"  the  name  of  a  locality  in  Fishkill  Co.,  N.  Y. 

TIOUGHNIOGA,  (te-oh'ne-aw'ga,)  teuunghuka;  i.  e.,  "meeting  of 
the  waters;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y. 

TIP'PECANOE';  said  to  mean  "at  the  great  clearing;"  the  name 
of  a  river  in  Indiana. 

TITAN'KA;  i.  e.,  "big  house;"  the  name  of  an  Indian  village  on 
the  Dakota  River. 

TITANKA'HE;  i.  e.,  "big  house  stands,"  or  "where  the  big  house 
stands;"  the  name  of  some  lakes  west  of  the  Big  Sioux  River. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  49 

TLASCA'LA;  i.  e.,  "place  of  bread/'  the  name  of  a  town  in 
Mexico,  a  place  of  great  importance  at  the  Spanish  conquest. 

TOBYHAN'NA,  topi-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "alder  stream;"  so  named  from 
the  abundance  of  that  shrub  growing  on  its  banks;  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Lehigh  Co.,  Pa. 

TOBY'S  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  gwunsch- 
hanne ;  i.  e.,  "  briar  stream." 

TOCO'MO  RIVER,  in  Fla.  This  stream  derives  its  name  from  the 
Indian  tribe  known  as  the  timucua,  or  temoga — lord,  ruler  or 
master.  The  tribe  resided  around  the  Mosquito  Lagoon,  Fla. 

TOHICK'ON,  tohichan,  or  tohick-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "the  stream  over 
which  we  pass  by  means  of  a  bridge  of  drift-wood ;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

TOM'BICON,  tombicanll;  i.  e.,  "place  of  crab  apples;"  the  name 
of  a  creek  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

TOMBIG'BEE,  itumbi-bikpi ;  i.  e.,  "coffin  makers."  The  Choctaw 
Indians  had  their  old  men  with  very  long  nails  to  clean  the  bones 
of  their  dead,  and  place  them  in  boxes,  when  they  were  deposited 
in  "bone  houses,"  whence  the  name;  the  name  of  a  river  of  Miss. 

TOMBIKHAN'NE;  i.  e.,  "crab-apple  stream." 

TOSKO'GEE;  either  from  tdskdis — jumpers,  or  taskialgi — warriors; 
the  name  of  an  old  Indian  town  on  the  Great  Tennessee  river. 

TO'TAWA  FALLS,  in  N.  J.;  fosauwei;  i.  e.,  "to  sink,  dive,  or  go 
under  water  to  rise  again,  as  timbers  do  when  carried  over  a  water 
fall." 

TOWAN'DA,  tawundeunk ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  burial  place,"  or  "where 
there  is  a  burying."  The  Nanticoke  Indians  are  said  to  have 
buried  their  dead  at  Towanda,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.;  whence  the 
name. 

TOW'SISSIM'OK,  dawa-simok ;  i.  e.,  "  the  feeding  place  for  cattle," 
or  "  the  pasture  ground  or  place." 

TUCK'AHOE,  tuchaho we ;  i.  e.,  "deer  are  shy,"  "hard  coming  at 
the   place  where  deer  are  so  shy;"   the  name  of  a  creek  in  N.  J., 
flowing  into  Great  Egg  Harbor  Bay. 
4 


50  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

TUCQUAN,  pduck-hanne  ;  i.  e.,  "  winding  stream." 
TUE'QUAN, pduequan — round,  and pducachtin — "round  hill. ' ' 

TUKPAF'KA;  i.  e.,  "spunk-knot,"  "punky  wood,"  "rotten 
wood." 

TULPEHOC'KEN,  tuJpewi-hacki ;  land  abounding  in  turtles;"  the 
name  of  a  creek  flowing  into  the  Schuylkill  near  Reading,  Pa. 

TUNKHAN'NA,  tunk-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "  the  small,  or  smaller  stream^;" 
the  name  of  a  stream  in  Wyoming  Co.,  Pa.,  sometimes  written 
Tunkhannock. 

TUPPEEKHANNA;  i.  e.,  "the  stream  that  flows  from  a  large 
spring;"  the  name  of  one  of  the  sources  of  the  Little  Lehigh  river 
in  Lehigh  Co.,  Pa. 

TURTLE  CREEK,  PA.,  is  a  translation  from  the  Indian  word  tul- 
pewi-sipu. 

TUSCALOO'SA,  tushka — warrior,  lusa — black;  i.  e.,  "black  war 
rior;  "  the  name  of  a  river  of  Alabama.  Tuscaloosa  was  the  name 
of  the  Indian  chief  of  "noble  person  and  bearing,"  who  gave 
battle  to  De  Soto  at  Mobile  and  occasioned  him  his  first  serious  re 
verse. 

TUSKE'GEE,  probably  derived  from  taskialgi — warriors ;  the  name 
of  a  town  in  Alabama. 

Two  LICKS  CREEK  in  Western  Pa.,  is  a  translation  from  the  In 
dian  words  nischa-hont,  or  nischa-honink. 

u. 

UIUKUF'KI,  ukiefki — muddy,  oiwa — water;  i.  e.,  "  muddy  water;" 
the  name  of  a  stream  in  the  Indian  Territory.  This  word  was  the 
Creek  name  for  the  Miss. 

UMA'HU;  i.  e.,  "hazelwood." 

U'POTOG\  apata-i ;  i.  e.,  "covering,"  "spreading  out"  as  wall 
paper,  carpets,  etc.;  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Muscogee  Co.,  Ala. 

UTTAMAC'COMCK,  uchtamaganat ;  i.  e.,  "a  path-maker,"  "a 
leader." 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  51 

UTU'HU  ;  i.  e.,  "oak,"  or  "the  oak;"  the  name  of  a  small  lake 
near  Lac  Qui  Parle,  Minn. 

UTI/HU'OJU;  i.  e.,  "oak  planting,"  or  "oak-grove;"  the  name 
of  a  small  forest  on  the  Dakota,  near  Ft.  Wadsworth. 

V. 

VENAN'GO;  i.  e.,  "interesting  mark  on  a  tree;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  W.  Penna. 

w. 

WA'BASHAW,  wape-sha;  i.  e.,  "red  leaf;"  the  name  of  a  town 
and  county  in  Minn. 

WACHACH'KEEK,  wauchou — a  hill,  keag — land;  i.  e. ,  "hilly 
land,"  or  "highland;"  the  name  of  one  of  the  plains  in  Catskill, 
N.  Y. 

WA'GA  ;  i.  e,,  "  cottomvood  ;"  the  name  of  a  western  tributary  of 
the  Minn. 

WALLENPAU'PACK,  or  WAULI.ENPAUPACK,  or  PAUPACK,  walink- 
papeek;  i.  e.,  "deep  and  dead  water;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  N. 
E.  Penna.,  flowing:  into  the  Lackawaxen,  near  Honesdale. 

WAI/PACK,  walpeek;  i.  e.,  "a  turn  hole,"  "a  deep  and  still 
place  in  a  stream  ;"  at  present  the  name  of  a  township  in  N.  J. 

WAM'PANOAGE\  wapan — east,  ake — land;  i.  e.,  "  the  east  land." 
This  name  was  applied  to  the  country  east  of  Narragansett  Bay. 

WAN'TAG,  wundachqui ;  i.  e.,  "that  way." 

WAN'TAGE,  cuweuagi;  i.  e.,  "  piece  of  timber  land  ;"  at  present 
the  name  of  a  township  in  Sussex  Co.,  N.  J. 

WAPALLAN'NE-WACHSCH-IECH'-EY  ;  i.  e.,  "bald  eagle's  nest." 

WAPPASU'NING  CREEK,  wapachsinmuk ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  place  of 
the  white  stones"  (or  metal).  The  Delaware  Indians  called  silver 
woapachsin. 

WAP'WALL'OPEN,  waph-allachpink ;  i.  e.,  "the  place  where  white 
hemp  grows;  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa. 

WAR'POES,  wapoos ;  i.  e.,  "a  hare,  or   rabbit;"   the  name  of  a 


52  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

tract  ofland  on  Manhattan  island,  supposed  at  one  time  to  abound 
in  rabbits. 

WASE'CA  ;  probably  a  corruption  of  washecha ;  i.  e. ,  "  red  earth," 
or  "  red  paint." 

WASEBUR,  waschabuck ;  \.  e.,  "a  physic." 

WASHEC'HA;  i.  e.,  "  vermillion,"  or  "red  earth,  or  paint;"  the 
name  of  several  small  streams  in  Minnesota  and  Dakota. 

WATAUGA  ;  said  to  mean  "the  river  of  islands;"  the  name  of  a 
river  in  N.  C. 

WAUMBEC;  i.  e.,  "  white  rock;"  said  to  be  the  Indian  name  for 
the  White  Mountains  of  N.  H. 

WAZIO'JU,  or  WASIO'JA  ;  i.  e.,  "pine  grove;"  the  name  of  a 
village  and  creek  in  Southern  Minn.;  so  named  from  some  pine 
trees  growing  there. 

WECH'QUETANK,  wikquetank;  the  name  of  an  old  Indian  village 
in  E.  Penna.,  called  after  a  species  of  willow  probably  found  on  its 
site  in  former  years. 

WECUPPE'MEE;  said  to  mean  "  bass  wood;"  the  name  of  a  small 
river  in  Conn. 

WEEHAW'KEN,  weachin;  i.  e.,  "maize  land;"  the  name  of  a 
town  in  N.  Y.,  on  the  Hudson  river. 

WEPA'TUCK,  weepwoiunt-  ohki ;  i.  e.,  "place  at  the  narrow  pass  or 
strait ;"  the  name  is  now  applied  to  a  mountain  in  Conn. 

WEPOI'SET;  i.  e.,  "at  the  little  crossing  place;"  the  Indian 
name  for  the  narrows  of  the  Kekam'uit  river,  R.  I. 

WE'QUAPAUC' ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  end  of  the  pond;"  the  name  of  a 
small  stream  in  R.  I. 

WERAUWANO,  probably  from  wajauivi — "a  chief,"  in  Minsi  and 
Delaware. 

®WEWO'KA,  uewa — water,  wohkoto — to  ba/k  ;  i.  e.,  "backing 
water;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  also  of 
a  village  on  its  banks. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  53 

WEQUATUCK'ET,  wequa-tukq-ut ;  i.  e.,  "head  of  a  tidal  river;" 
the  name  of  a  cove  and  tidal  river  near  Stoning.ton,  Conn. 

WHEE'LING,  whilink;  i.  e.,  "  at  the  place  of  the  head."  The 
Indians  say  that  a  prisoner  taken  by  them  was  put  to  death,  and 
his  head  placed  upon  a  pole  at  the  place  where  the  city  of  Wheel 
ing  now  stands  ;  whence  the  name. 

WHITE  DEER  CREEK,  Union  Co.,  Pa.,  a  translation  from  woap- 
tuch-hanne. 

WHIP'PANY,  whip-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "  arrow  stream;"  the  name  of  a 
river  in  Morris  Co.,  N.  J. 

WICCOCAM'OCA,  wik  hak  omeko  ;  i.  e.,  "  where  they  are  building 
houses;"  or  "  you  see  where  they  build  houses." 

WICOM'ICO,  wikomekec ;  i.  e.,  "where  the  houses  are  building;" 
the  name  of  a  small  river  on  the  E.  shore  of  Md. 

WICONISCO,  wike nkniskeu ;  i.  e.,  "wet  and  muddy  camp;"  the 
name  of  a  stream  in  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa. 

WIGHSACAN,  wisachgin;  i.  e.,  "sour  grapes."  Some  suppose 
this  word  to  be  derived  from  wisachgank — rum  or  whiskey,  wisachk 
signifying  anything  pungent  to  the  taste. 

WIKAI  LA'KO,  u-i — water,  kaya — rising,  lako — great,  large;  i.  e., 
"large  spring;"  the  name  of  a  town  of  the  Creek  Indians  in  the 
I.  T. 

WILLIMAN'TIC;  Authors  say  this  word  may  mean  either  "a  good 
lookout,"  or  "good  cedar  swamp;"  at  present  the  name  of  a  river 
in  Conn. 

WILIP'QUIN;  i.  e.,  "place  of  interment  of  skulls  and  bones." 
The  indians  residing  on  the  banks  of  this  stream,  and  indeed  the 
Delawares  generally,  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  the  skulls,  and 
whenever  possible  the  other  bones  of  their  dead  companions  to 
certain  spots,  and  burying  them  in  caverns  and  deep  holes ;  the 
name  of  a  creek  in  Md. 

WINANK,  winaak ;  i.  e.,  "sassafras  tree." 

WINGOHOCKING,  wingehacking  ;  i.  e.,  "favorite  place  for  plant 
ing;"  the  name  of  the  south  branch  of  Frankford  Creek  in  Penna. 


54  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

WIN^NEBA'GO ;  i.  e.,  filthy,"  or  "stinking;"  originally  the  name 
of  a  tribe  of  Indians. 

WIN'NEPE,  we-ne-be-goo-she-shing  ;  i.  e.,  "a  place  of  dirty  water;" 
the  name  of  a  lake  in  Minn. 

WIN'NIPAUK,  winmpaug;  i.  e.,  "fine  pond."  Winnipauk,  saga 
more  of  Norwalk,  is  supposed  to  have  taken  his  name  from  the 
place  where  he  lived,  and  subsequently  his  name  was  adopted  as 
the  name  of  a  village  in  Norwalk,  Conn. 

WitfmPis.EOfGEE,''winm-m£pi-sau&e;  i.  e.,  "good  water  discharge 
or  outlet;"  the  name  of  a  river  and  lake  in  N.  H.;  the  river  to 
which  evidently  the  name  first  belonged,  being  the  outlet  for  the 
lake. 

WINO'NA;  i.  e.,  "the  first  born  child  if  a  daughter,"  among  the 
Dakotas.  This  word  has  now  become  the  name  of  a  town  in  the 
S.  E.  part  of  Minn. 

WISAME'KING,  or  WISAMEEK';  i.  e.,  "catfish  camp."  This  camp 
was  at  or  near  where  Washington,  Pa.,  now  stands,  and  for  many 
years  was  the  residence  of  a  noted  Indian  called  Catfish. 

WISAU'KIN,  wisachgime ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  grapes." 

WIS'CONK,  Wisquonk ;  i.  e.,  "  the  elbow; "  the  name  of  a  river 
in  N.  J. 

WISOC'CON,  wisachcan ;  i.  e.,  "bitter  or  pungent  to  the  taste." 

WISSAHICK'ON,  misamek-han ;  i.  e.,  "catfish  stream;"  the  name 
of  a  stream  in  Philad.  Co.,  Pa. 

WISSA'YEK,  qussuek — a  rock,  ick — place;  i.  e.,  "the  rocky  place, 
or  country."  This  was  the  Indian  name  of  Dover,  Westchester 
Co.,  N.  Y. 

Wissi's$'AUiNG,'wisc/i-a?ze-mun&;  i.  e.,  "  where  we  were  frightened, 
or  put  to  flight." 

WITAKAN'TU;  i.  e.,  "  high  island;"  the  name  of  a  lake  and  also 
of  its  outlet  which  flows  into  the  Minn.;  so  called  from  a  high 
wooded  island  in  the  lake. 

WITHLOCOOCHEE  or  WiTHLACOOCHEE ;  i.  e.,  "little  river;"  the 
name  of  a  river  in  Florida. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  55 

WITUM'KA,  WETUMP'KA,  u-i — water,  tumkis — it  rumbles,  makes  a 
noise;  i.  e.,  "rumbling  water;"  the  name  of  a  tributary  of  the 
Yuchi  or  Euchee  creek — a  branch  of  the  Chatahuchi,  or  Chattahoo- 
chee  river. 

WIWO'KA,«-/ — water,  wokis — it  is  roaring;  i.  e.,  "roaring water;" 
the  name  of  an  eastern  tributary  of  the  Coosa  river. 

WOLF  CREEK,  in  W.  Penna.,  was  called  by  the  Indians  tum'meik', 
\.  e.,  "the  place  of  wolves." 

WON'GUNK;  i.  e.,  "a  bend,"  or  "at  the  bend."  This  word 
refers  to  a  great  bend  in  the  Connecticut  River,  between  Middle- 
town  and  Portland,  Conn. 

WONK'EMAUG;  i.  e. ,  "crooked  pond,"  or  "a  crooked  pond;" 
the  name  of  a  small  lake  in  Conn. 

WUN'NEGUN'SET;  This  word  is  said  to  sig.  "dish"  or  "bowl." 
It  is  now,  however,  applied  to  a  high  hill  in  Lebanon,  Conn.  The 
probability  is  the  name  has  been  transferred  from  some  disri  or 
bowl-shaped  valley  adjacent. 

WYALU'SING,  machwihillusing ;  i.  e.,  "at  the  dwelling  place  of 
the  hoary  veteran;"  the  name  of  a  creek  in  Bradford  Co.,  Pa., 
flowing  into  the  Susquehanna  below  Towanda. 

WYANO'KE,  wigunake ;  i.  e.,  "the  point  of  an  island,"  "at  the 
end,"  "land's  end." 

WYO'MING,  m'cheuomi,  or  m'cheuwami;  i.  e.,  "extensive  flats." 
This  name  was  applied  by  the  Delaware  Indians  to  the  beautiful 
valley  in  which  Wilkesbarre  now  stands.  The  North  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  was  called  by  the  Delaware's  m' chuweami-sipu ;  i.  e., 
"the  river  of  extensive  flats."  The  Iriquois  called  it  gahonta,  a 
word  of  similar  import. 

WVsox,  WYSAUKIN  ;  from  wisachgimi  ;  i.  e.,  "  place  of  grapes;" 
the  name  of  a  stream  in  Bradford  Co.,  Pa. 

Y. 

YANK'TON,  ihanktonwe ;  i.  e.,  "a  town  or  dwelling  at  the  end." 
It  is  said  the  town  oi  Yankton,  Dak.,  was  named  after  a  tribe  of  In 
dians  called  Ihanktonwe.  If  this  be  true,  possibly,  a  better  defini 
tion  would  be  "  the  dwellers  at  the  end." 


56  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

YAN'TIC.  This  word  may  sig.  either  "on  one  side  of  the  tidal 
river,"  or  "extending  to  the  tidal  river."  The  name  is  now  ap 
plied  to  a  small  river  in  Conn. 

YAZOO',  yasu,  or yashu ;  i.  e.,  "leaf,"  or  "leafy;"  the  name  of 
a  river  in  Miss. 

YEL'LOW  BREECHES,  callapassrink ;  i.  e.,  "  where  it  turns  back 
again;"  supposed  to  refer  to  some  place  on  the  stream  where  it 
turns  a  sharp  angle.  This  stream,  for  some  distance,  forms  the 
boundary  line  between  York  and  Adams  counties,  Pa.,  and  flows 
into  the  Susquehanna  a  short  distance  below  Harrisburg. 

YEMAS'SEE,  ya'massi;  i.  e.,  "mild,"  "gentle,"  "peaceable." 
The  word  was  first  applied  to  a  tribe  of  Indians  inhabiting  Ga.,  and 
is  now  the  name  of  a  town  in  that  state  north  of  Savannah. 

YOSEM'ITE  ;  said  to  mean  "grizzly  bear." 

•  YOUGHIOGHENY,  yuh-wiak-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "a  stream  running  a 
contrary  or  roundabout  course;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  Fayette 
Co.,  Pa. 


SUPPLEMENTAL  VOCABULARY. 


A. 

ALLEGHENY  RIVER.  This  stream  was  called  by  the  Senecas 
o-hee-yo ;  i.  e.,  "beautiful  river."  They  seem  to  have  applied  the 
same  name  to  the  Ohio  ;  Indeed  some  suppose  our  word  Ohio  to  be 
derived  from  this  root  instead  of  ohui-opeek-hanne. 

B. 

BINGHAMTON,  N.  Y.  The  place  where  this  city  stands  was  called 
by  the  Mohawks  o-che-nang ;  i.  e.,  "bull  thistles." 

BUFFALO,  N.  Y.  The  site  of  this  city  was  called  by  the  Senecas 
do-sho-weh ;  i.  e.,  "splitting  the  fork." 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  57 

c. 

CANANDAI'GUA,  ga-nun-da-gwa ;  i.  e.,  "a  place  selected  for  set 
tlement;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  N.  Y.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  the  Indians  to  adopt  new  sites  for  their  villages,  quite 
frequently,  for  sanitary  reasons. 

CANADO'WA  CREEK,  in  New  York,  ga-na-da-wa-o ;  i.  e.,  "  run 
ning  through  the  hemlocks." 

CANEADE'A  CREEK,  ga-oya-de-o  ;  i.  e.,  "where  the  heavens  rest 
upon  the  earth ; "  the  name  of  a  stream  in  N.  Y. 

CANESERA'GA  CREEK,  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  ka-na-so-wa-ga ; 
i.  e.,  "  several  strings  of  beads  with  a  string  lying  across."  There 
is  another  creek,  precisely  of  this  orthography,  in  Livingston  Co., 
N.  Y.,  said  to  be  derived  from  ga-nus-ga  go,  and  to  sig.  "among 
the  milk  weed."  Both  roots,  with  their  sig.,  are  obtained  from  very 
high  authority,  and  the  probability  is  the  similarity  in  the  modern 
orthography  is  a  mere  coincidence. 

CANESTO'TA,  ka-ne-to-ta ;  i.  e.,  "  pine  tree  standing  alone;  "  the 
name  of  a  small  creek  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y. 

CANIS'TEO  RIVER,  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  ta-car-nase-te-o ;  i.  e., 
"  board  on  the  water." 

CANO'GA,  ga-no-geh  ;  i.  e.,  "  oil  flowing  on  the  water  ;  "  the  name 
of  a  town  on  Cayuga  Lake,  N.  Y. 

CASSADA'GA  LAKE,  N.  Y.,  gus-da-go ;  i.  e.,  "under  the  rocks." 

CASSADA'GO  CREEK,  N.  Y.  This  word  is  from  the  same  root  as 
the  above  and  has  the  same  signification. 

CATARA'QUE  RIVER,  N.  Y.,  ga-dai-o-que ;  i.  e.,  "fort  in  the 
water;"  the  name  by  which  Lake  Ontario  was  known  to  the  Eng 
lish  at  an  early  day. 

CATTARAU'GUS  CREEK,  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.,  ga-da-ges-ga-o ; 
i.  e.,  "  feted  banks." 

CAUGWA'GA,  ga-gwa-ga ;  i.  e.,  "creek  of  the  cat  nation;"  the 
name  of  a  small  river  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. 

CAYUVGA  RIVER,  N.  Y.,  ga-da-geh;  i.  e..  "  through  the  oak  open 
ings." 


58  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

CAYU'GA  LAKE,  N.  Y.  L.  H.  Morgan,  Esq.,  in  the  appendix  to 
his  League  of  the  Iriquois,  says  this  word  is  derived  from  gwe-u' '- 
gweh  in  the  Cayuga  dialect  and  sig.  "  the  lake  of  the  murky 
land."  Compare  this  sig.  with  those  in  the  general  vocabulary. 

CHAUTAU'QUA  LAKE,  N.  Y.,  cha-da-gueh  ;  i.  e.,  "  place  where  one 
was  l^st."  I  deem  this  definition  far  more  reliable  than  the  one 
given  in  the  general  vocabulary. 

CHAUTAU'QUE  CREEK,  in  N.  Y.  Mr.  Morgan  says  this  word  is 
derived  from  go-no-wun-go,  and  sig.  "  the  rapids." 

CHENAN'GO,  'o-che-nang;  i.  e.,  "bull  thistles;"  the  name  of  a 
river  in  N.  Y. 

CHESTER  RIVER,  in  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.,  was  called  by  the  Dela- 
wares,  Macapanackhan,  from  meechappenackhan ;  i.  e.,  "the  large 
potato  stream." 

CHEMUNG';  said  to  mean  "  big  horn,"  from  an  immense  tusk  of 
a  mastodon  or  other  antediluvian  animal  found  in  its  bed  ;  the 
name  of  a  river  in  Southern  New  York,  flowing  into  the  Susque- 
hanna. 

CHITTENAN'GO,  chu-de-naang ;  i.  e.,  "where  the  sun  shines  out;" 
the  name  of  a  creek  in  N.  Y. 

CLARION  RIVER,  Clarion  Co.,  Pa.,  was  called  by  the  Delaware 
Indians,  gawunsch-hanne ;  i.  e.,  "briar  stream." 

CO'HOES  FALLS,  N.  Y.,  ga-ha-oose ;  i.  e.,  "  shipwrecked  canoe." 
CONEWAN'GO  ;   Mr.  Morgan  says  this  word  is  from  go-no-wun-go, 

and  sig.  "  the  rapids;"  the  name  of  a  river  in  N.  Y.     See  General 

Vocabulary. 

CONHOC'TON  RIVER,  ga-ha-to  ;  i.  e.,  "a  log  in  the  water." 
CONNES'US,  ga-ne-a-sos ;  i.  e.,   "place  of   nanny-berries;"   the 

name  of  a  lake  in  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y. 

CON'ODAW,  gunniada;  i.  e.,  "he  tarries  long." 
CONOY',  guneu;  i.  e.,  "long;"   the  name  of  a  creek  in  Lancas 
ter  Co.,  Pa. 

D. 

DUCK  CREEK,  in  Delaware,  was  called  by  the  Indians  quniquin- 
gus,  i.  e.,  "  wild  duck." 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  59 

G. 

GANOWAU'GES  or  CANAWAU'GUS,  ga-no-wau-ges ;    i.   e.,   "  feted 
waters;"   the  name  of  a  town  in  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y. 
GARDOW  VILLAGE,  ga-da-o ;  i.  e.,  "bank  in  fort." 

GEXESEE',  gennis-he-yo ;  i.  e.,  "the  beautiful  valley;"  the  name 
of  a  river  in  N.  Y.' 

H. 

HOCK'ENDAU'QUA  or  HOCKENDOCQUE,  hackuindochwe  ;  the  name 
of  a  stream  in  Northampton  Co.,  Pa.  See  Genl.  Voe. 

HON'EYOE,  ha-ne-a-yeh  ;  i.  e.,  "ringer  lying;"  the  name  of  a  lake 
in  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y. 

i. 

IRONDE'QUOIT,  neo-da-on-da-quat ;  i.  e.,  "a  bay;"  the  name  of 
a  bay  in  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y. 

N. 

NIAG'ARA  FALLS  was  called  by  the  Senecas,  who  lived  near  them, 
date-car-sko-sasa ;  i.  e.,  "the  highest  falls." 

o. 

ONONDA'GA,  o-mm-da-ga ;  i.  e.,  "on  the  hills;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  New  York.  See  Genl.  Voc. 

ONTA'RIO,  ska-no-da-rio ;  i.  e.,  "beautiful  lake."  This  root  is 
from  the  Mohawk  language.  Compare  with  sig.  in  Gen.  Voc. 

ORISK'ANY,  o-his-heh ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  nettles;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  N.  Y. 

OSWA'YA,  o-so-a-yeh;  i.  e.,  "pine  forest;"  the  name  of  a  creek 
in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y. 

OSWE'GO,  b-swa-gch;  i.  e.,  "flowing  out."  This  river  forms  the 
outlet  for  a  large  number  of  lakes  in  Central  N.  Y.  The  word  is 
of  Mohawk  origin. 

OTSQUA'GO,  o-squa-go ;  i.  e.,  "under  the  bridge;"  the  name  of 
a  creek  in  N.  Y. 

OWAS'CO,  dwas-co ;  i.  e.,  "lake  of  the  floating  bridge;"  the 
name  of  a  lake  in  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y. 


60  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

OWE'GO,  ah-wa-ga;  i.  e.,  "where  the  valley  widens;"  the  name 
of  a  river  in  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y. 

s. 

SCHENECT'ADY,  ska-neh-ta-da ;  i.  e.,  "beyond  the  openings." 
This  root  is  from  the  Seneca  dialect,  and  varies  somewhat  from  that 
in  the  Genl.  Voc.  Possibly  a  better  translation  would  be  "beyond 
the  pine  openings." 

SKANEAT'ICE  or  SKANEATELES,  sha-ne-a-dice ;  "long  lake;"  the 
name  of  a  lake  in  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y. 

ST.  LAWRENCE.  This  river  was  called  by  the  Oneidas  ga  no- 
wa-ga;  i.  e.,  "the  rapid  river." 

SUSQUEHAN'NA.  In  the  Onondaga  dialect,  this  river  was  called 
ga-wa-no-wa-na-neh ;  i.  e.,  "great  island  river." 

We  can  hardly  suppose,  however,  that  the  present  name  of  this 
river  is  a  corruption  of  this  root,  though  a  metamorphose  as  great 
as  this  would  be,  has  frequently  taken  place  in  Indian  names  when 
undergoing  adjustment  to  the  English  tongue. 

T. 

TICONDERO'GA,  je-hone-ta-lo-ga ;  i.  e,  "noisy;"  the  name  was 
applied  by  the  Indians  to  the  falls  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  George,  in 
N.  Y. 

TIC/GA  POINT,  N.  Y.,  in  the  Cayuga  dialect,  was  called  ta-yo-ga ; 
i.  e.,  "at  the  forks." 

TIOUGHNIO'GA,  o-nan-no-gi-is-ka ;  i.  e.,  "shag-bark  hickory;" 
the  name  of  a  river  in  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y. 

TONAWAN'DA,  ta-na-wun-da ;  i.  e.,  "swift  water;"  the  name  of 
a  river  in  Genessee  Co.,  N.  Y. 

TORON'TO  ;  probably  a  corruption  from  di-on-da;  i.  e.,  "log 
floating  on  the  water." 

u. 

UNADIL'LA,  de-u-na-dil-lo ;  i.  e.,  "place  of  meeting;"  the  name 
of  a  town  in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y. 

w. 

WISCOY,  o-wa-is-ki;  i.  e.  "under  the  banks;"  the  name  of  a 
creek  in  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y. 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  6 1 

MISCELLANEOUS    VOCABULARY. 


A. 

AARGAU  (ar'gow}  ;  i.  e.,  "  a  county  or  district  of  the  Aar ;"  the 
name  of  a  canton  of  Switzerland  on  the  river  Aar. 

AAYN;  an  Arabic  word  sig.  ''fountain,"  generally  written  ain. 

ABAD  ;  a  Hindoo  word  sig.  "abode"  or  "dwelling  place,"  oc 
curring  frequently  as  a  suffix  in  Hindostan. 

AFRICA  ;  this  word  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  name  of 
some  tribe  in  the  neighborhood  of  Carthage,  whose  name  signified 
"wanderers."  Others  think  this  word  means  "south  land." 
Others,  again,  that  it  means  "land  of  corn  or  ears." 

AHMED  ABAD  ;  i.  e.,  "the  abode  of  Ahmed;"  the  name  of  a  city 
of  Hindostan. 

AIGUES  MORTES  (ag  morf)  ;  i.  e.,  "the  dead,  or  still  waters;" 
the  name  of  a  town  of  France,  located  in  marsh  ground  near  the 
Mediterranean  sea. 

AIN;  an  Arabic  word  sig.  "  fountain." 

Aix,  (aks} ;  a  French  word  sig.  "water."  This  name  is  given 
to  a  city  of  France,  near  which  are  hot  saline  springs,  the  Aqua 
Lextia  of  the  Romans.  It  is  also  the  name  of  an  ancient  town  in 
Sardinia,  whose  thermal  springs  have  been  noted  for  centuries. 

Aix  LA  CHAPELLE  (aks-la-sha'pell'^} ;  i.  e.,  "  the  waters,"  or  "the 
fountains;"  the  name  of  a  city  of  Prussia,  noted  for  its  thermal 
springs. 

AL  ;  this  word  is  the  Arabic  definite  article  the,  and  is  found  as 
a  prefix  in  a  great  many  names  in  Spain  and  elsewhere. 

ALA'MO;  a  Spanish  word  sig.  "poplar  trees;"  the  name  of  an 
old  fort  in  Bexar  Co.,  Texas.  Here,  on  March  6,  1836,  a  small 
body  of  Tt'xans  with  the  eccentric  Davy  Crocket  at  their  head  re 
sisted  a  body  of  Mexicans  of  ten  times  their  number  till  the  last 
man  was  slain.  From  this  circumstance  the  Alamo  has  been  called 
the  Thermopylae  of  Texas. 


62  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

ALHAMBRA;  i.  e.,  "the  red;"  so  called  from  the  color  of  the 
stones  of  which  this  magnificent  Moorish  palace  is  built.  It  stands 
on  an  eminence  overlooking  the  city  of  Granada  in  Spain. 

ALLAH  ABAD;  i.  e.,  "the  abode  of  God."  The  Hindoos  esteem 
the  waters  of  both  the  Ganges  and  Jumna  sacred  and  efficacious  in 
purifying  them  of  sin,  and  regard  the  spot  where  those  two  rivers 
meet  as  a  most  sacred  shrine.  To  this  place  they  perform  annual 
pilgrimages  lo  the  number  of  several  thousands,  for  purposes  of 
worship  and  purification.  In  consequence,  a  large  city  has  grown 
up  here  which  has  taken  the  name  of  the  shrine. 

ALPS  ;  this  word  is  probably  derived  from  the  Welsh  root  al — 
grand,  sublime,  and  pen — head;  i.  e.,  "the  grand  or  sublime 
head."  If  this  origin  of  the  word  be  the  correct  one,  it  is  another 
and  additional  proof  of  the  great  antiquity  of  the  Welsh  language. 

ALTA  CALIFORNIA;   i.  e.,  "Upper  California." 

AMAZON  a-madzon ;  i.  e.,  "from  the  breast"  or  "without 
breasts."  This  river  was  so  named  by  Orellana,  who  deserting 
Pizzaro  during  the  latter's  operations  in  Peru,  marched  eastward 
across  the  Andes  until  he  reached  the  head  waters  of  that  mighty 
river ;  then  embarking  on  its  bosom,  explored  it  to  its  mouth,  en 
countering  on  his  voyage,  as  he  says,  much  hostility  from  the 
natives,  especially  fromfema/e  warriors,  who  to  secure  greater  free 
dom  in  their  movements,  had  either  removed  their  breasts  or  greatly 
reduced  them  by  compression,  so  much  so  as  to  render  those  organs 
invisible. 

AM'ORITES  ;  i.  e.,  "mountaineers." 

ANDALUSIA.  The  probability  is  this  word  is  of  Arabic  origin, 
and  signifies  "hesperia  or  the  region  of  the  evening." 

Others  suppose  it  to  be  a  corruption  of  Vandalusia,  and  to  mean 
the  country  of  the  Vandals.  The  term  is  applied  to  that  delight 
ful  district  of  Spain  lying  south  of  the  Sierra  Morena  Mountains. 

ATHLONE,  Athluan\  i.  e.,  "  ford  of  the  moon;"  the  name  of  a 
town  and  barony  of  Ireland. 

AUSTRIA,  oest-reich;  i.  e.,  "the  east  kingdom;"  so  named  by 
the  Emperor  Charlemagne. 

AVON  ;  from  the  Celtic  word  afon — water.  In  England  this 
word  occurs  several  times  as  the  name  of  streams. 


INDIA.N    LOCAL    NAMES.  63 

B. 

BAALBEC,  or  BALBEC;  i.  e.,  "the  city  of  Baal."  The  Greeks 
called  this  city  Heliopolis — a  word  of  similar  import.  Baal  is  a 
Hebrew  word  sig.  "lord,"  "owner"  or  "master,"  and  with  the 
Babylonians  and  Assyrians  was  the  god  of  the  sun. 

BAD,  pi.  BADEN,  (Ger.;)  i.  e.,  "bath"  or  "baths." 

BAHIA  HONDA,  (ba-ee'a  on  da}  ;  i.  e.,  "  deep  bay;"  the  name  of 
a  harbor  in  Cuba. 

BALACLAVA,  bella  chiava ;  i.  e.,  "the  beautiful  quay ;"  the 
name  of  a  town  of  Russia  on  the  Black  Sea;  so  named  by  the 
Genoese. 

BALIZE;  i.  e.,  "beacon,"  "sea  mark,"  "light  house."  Now 
the  name  of  a  political  division  of  Cent.  America. 

BEAR  LAKE,  GREAT  ;  a  lake  of  British  America,  so  named  from 
its  position  under  the  constellation  of  the  Great  Bear,  the  Arctic 
(Arctos — bear]  circle  passing  over  it. 

BEERSHEBA;  i.  e.,  "well  of  the  oath." 

BELFAST  ;  this  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  Norse  words  beal  na 
farsad ;  i.  e.,  "the  mouth  of  the  fiord;"  the  name  of  a  town  in 
the  North  of  Ireland. 

BEN  LOMOND;  i.  e.,  "beacon  mountain." 

BEN  VENUE;  "little  mountain."  This  word  and  the  foregoing 
are  names  of  mountains  in  Scotland. 

BETH;  a  Hebrew  word  sig.  "  house." 

BETHANY;  i.  e.,   "  the  house  of  dates." 

BETHEL;  i.  e.,  "the  house  of  God." 

BIRMINGHAM,  brom — heath,  wych  or  wick — village,  ham — home; 
i.  e.,  "the  village  on  the  heath,"  or  "the  home  village  on  the 
heath."  This  latter  definition  is  not  very  elegant  or  satisfactory. 
The  word  ham — enclosure  or  home,  in  this  case  seems  to  be  sur- 
plussage,  as  the  word  wych  would  seem  to  convey  equally  well  the 
idea  of  home  or  dwelling  place ;  the  name  of  a  great  manufacturing 
city  of  England. 

BOKHARA;  i.  e.,  "the  treasury  of  sciences."  The  name  of  a  fa 
mous  city  of  W.  Asia,  once  the  seat  of  Mohammedan  learning. 


64  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

BOSTON,  BO-STON,  BOTOLPH'S-TON  ;  i.  e.,  "  Bartholomew's  town  ;" 
the  name  of  a  town  in  Lincolnshire,  Eng.  The  foregoing  deriva 
tion  is  given  by  Rev.  Isaac  Taylor,  of  England,  in  his  Words 
and  Places. 

BRAHMAPOOTRA;  i.  e.,  "the  son  of  Brahm;"  the  name  of  a 
river  of  India  rising  in  the  Plateau  of  Thibet. 

BRYN  MAWR  ;  a  word  of  Welsh  origin  sig.  "  big  hill,"  or  "great 
hill;"  the  name  of  a  station  on  the  Penna.  R.  R.,  near  Philad. 

BUENA  VISTA,  (dona  vis'ta)  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  good  view;"  the  name 
of  a  celebrated  battle  field  in  the  N.  W.,'part  of  Mexico,  made 
memorable  by  the  victory  obtained  here  by  the  Americans  under 
General  Z.  Taylor,  over  the  Mexicans. 

c. 

CADIZ,  Phon.  gadir ;  i.  e.,  "an  enclosure."  No  doubt,  where 
this  city  stands  there  was  at  first  only  a  trading  post  of  the  Phoeni 
cians  ;  which  for  greater  security,  was  by  some  means  enclosed.  Or 
the  name  may  have  had  allusion  to  the  fact  that  ihe  town  was  built 
upon  an  island,  and  hence  enclosed  by  water;  the  name  of  a  seaport 
town  of  Spain. 

CALCUT'TA,  Kaller  Ghatta ;  i.  e.,  "the  step  or  landing  place  of 
Kaller" — the  goddess  of  Time. 

CALIFORNIA.  This  name  is  supposed  to  have  been  taken  from  an 
old  Spanish  romance  by  Ordonez  de  Montalva,  published  about  the 
year  1510.  The  romance  referred  to  an  island  of  California  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  Indies  very  near  the  Terrestrial  Paradise. 

The  name  was  first  applied  to  an  island  or  the  peninsula  of  Cali 
fornia,  which  was  at  first  thought  to  be  an  island,  and  was  adopted 
from  the  novel  from  1535  to  1539.  It  is  not  known  that  Cortez 
was  the  first  to  apply  it,  and  some  even  suppose  it  was  first  used  in 
derision. 

CAMBRIA,  cymry ;  i.  e.,  "the  country  of  the  mountaineers,"  or 
"  the  land  of  the  mountaineers;"  the  ancient  name  of  Wales. 

CAMDEN;  i.  e.,  "crooked  vale;"  the  name  of  a  town  near  Lon 
don,  Eng. 

CANARIES,  Lat.  cants — a  dog;  i.  e.,  "dog  islands;"  so  named 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  65 

from   the  circumstance    that   when   first   discovered,  those   islands 
were  found  to  abound  in  wild  dogs. 

CANTERBURY,  cant  wara  byrig;  i.  e.,  "the  men  of  the  head 
land;"  the  name  of  a  city  and  county  of  England. 

CAPE;  from  the  Latin  word  caput — a  head.  For  this  word  the 
Italians  have  capo,  the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese,  cabo,  and  the 
Arabs,  ras. 

CAPE  BLANCO;  i.  e.,  "the  white,  blank,  or  bare  head;"  the 
name  of  several  barren  headlands  on  different  parts  of  the  globe. 

CAPE  HORN,  or  HOORN  ;  so  named  by  the  Dutch  navigator 
Shout-in,  who  first  doubled  it,  in  honor  of  his  native  village  of 
Hoorn,  on  the  Zuyder  Zee. 

CHAMPS ELYSEES  (sh'ons' -e-le-ze] ;  i.  e.,  "The  Elysian  Fields;"  the 
name  of  a  magnificent  avenue  in  the  city  of  Paris,  extending  from 
the  Gardens  of  the  Tuilleries  to  the  Arc  de  Triomphe  de  1'  Etoile; 
that  is  to  trie  arch  of  triumph  of  the  star — twelve  streets  radiating 
from  this  arch. 

COLUMBIA  RIVER,  Oregon  ;  discovered  by  Capt.  Robt.  Gray,  of 
Boston,  in  1792,  and  named  by  him  in  honor  of  his  vessel,  the 
Columbia  Rediviva. 

COPENHAGEN;  i.  e.,  "  the  market  place  harbor." 

D. 

DARDANELLES  ;  from  Dardcenus,  an  ancient  town  on  the  Asiatic 
side  of  those  straits  built  by  Dardanus,  the  ancestor  of  Priam. 

DARM;  a  German  word,  sig.  "  gut"  or  "  intestine." 

DETROIT;  from  the  French,  and  sig.  "the  narrows,"  or  "the 
narrow  passage." 

DORCHESTER.  This  is  a  hybrid  word,  from  the  Celtic  word 
dur — water,  and  the  Latin  word  castra — camp,  and  sig.  "the  camp 
by  the  water."  Very  good  authority,  however,  claims  that  this 
word  means  "dwellers  by  the  water." 

DOUGLAS;  i.  e.,  "black  water;"  the  name  of  a  stream  in  Scot 
land. 

5 


66  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

E. 

EBENEZER;  i.  e.  "  stone  of  help." 

EDINBOROUGH;  i.  e.  "Edwin's  Castle,  or  Fort.  The  Celtic 
form  is  Dun  Edin  Burgh,  sig.  castle  or  fortification.  This  word 
was  formerly  written  Edwinsburg. 

EDOM;  i.  e.,  "the  red;"  supposed  by  some  to  be  so  named 
from  the  ruddy  hue  of  its  mountains ;  by  others  from  the  reddish 
color  of  the  pottage  furnished  Esau,  to  whose  lot  this  country  fell, 
by  his  brother  Jacob.  The  country  of  Edom  lies  between  the 
head  of  the  Red  Sea  and  Palestine. 

EHRENBREITSTEIN;  i.  e.,  "honor's  broad  stone;"  the  name  of  a 
town  and  noted  fortress  on  the  Rhine. 

F. 

FOND  DU  LAC;  a  French  word  sig.  "end  of  the  lake;"  the  name 
of  a  town  in  Wisconsin,  at  the  head  of  lake  Winnebago. 

FONTAINEBLEAU;  this  French  word  is  supposed  to  be  derived 
iiQ\r\fontaine-belle-eau — "fountain  of  beautiful  water;"  the  name 
of  a  small  town  of  France  near  Paris. 

G. 

GALENA;  from  galena — a  species  of  lead  ore;  the  name  of  a  city 
in  111.,  situated  near  some  rich  mines  of  lead. 

GALILEE;  i.  e.,  "a  circle;"  the  name  of  a  lake  in  Palestine. 

GERMANY  ;  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  Gaelic  word  gair- 
mean ;  i.  e.,  "one  who  cries  out;"  and  the  name  either  alludes  to 
the  fierce  war  cry  of  the  Teutonic  hordes,  or  more  probably  it  ex 
presses  the  wonder  with  which  the  Celts  of  Gaul  listened  to  the  un 
intelligible  clash  of  the  harsh  German  gutturals.  Other  authorities 
say  the  word  is  derived  from  wherman  and  sig.  "  war  men." 

GIBRALTAR,  Gebel  el  Taric ;  i.  e.,  "Taric's  Hill,"  or  "Taric's 
Mountain." 

In  the  year  711  a  body  of  Saracens  under  their  leader  Taric  Ibn 
Zeyad,  crossed  over  from  Africa  and  took  possession  of  the  southern 
extremity  of  Spain,  calling  the  promontory  which  for  ages  had 
been  known  as  the  Northern  Pillar  of  Hercules,  after  their  leader 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  67 

Taric.  Gebel  is  an  Arabic  word  sig.  "hill,"  e.  g.,  Gebel 
Mousa  ;  i.  e.,  hill  of  Moses.  If  I  mistake  not  the  word  taric  or 
tarik  sig.  "  clear  the  way."  If  so,  those  hardy  warriors  of  the  des 
ert  had  given  to  their  leader  an  appropriate  sobriquet,  since  it  was 
Taric,  indeed,  who  led  their  vanguard  and  cleared  the  way  for 
that  Saracenic  host  which  finally  overran  Spain  and  held  its  fairest 
provinces  under  subjection  for  nearly  eight  centuries. 

H. 

HAPSBURG;  i.  e.,  "Hawk's  Castle." 

HAVANA;  i.  e.,  "the  haven,"  or  "the  harbor."  This  city  of 
Cuba  has  one  of  the  very  finest  harbors  in  the  world. 

HAVRE;  i.  e.,  "the  haven." 

HEIM;  a  German  word,  sig.  "home,"  now  a  suffix  to  many 
names  of  towns  and  villages  in  Germany,  and  wherever  the  Ger 
man  language  prevails. 

HELLESPONT;  i.  e.,  "the  Sea  of  Helle."  Helle  was  the  daugh 
ter  of  Athmos,  king  of  Thebes,  and  is  said  to  have  been  drowned 
in  this  strait. 

HELL  GATE;  a  corruption  of  the  old  Dutch  name,  Horll  Gatt ; 
i.  e,,  "whirl  passage;  the  name  of  a  dangerous  rapid  in  New  York 
harbor. 

I. 

ING;  an  English  suffix,  sig.  "  son  of,  "  e.  g.,  Reading,  i.  e., 
"son  of  Read." 

INTERHCHEN;  i.  e.,  "  between  the  lakes;"  the  name  of  a  village 
of  Switzerland,  on  the  river  Aar,  between  lakes  Thun  and  Brienz ; 
whence  the  name.  The  town  is  devoid  of  interest  in  itself,  but  is 
noted  for  the  grandeur  of  the  surrounding  scenery. 

INVERNESS;  i.  e.  "at  the  confluence  of  the  Ness."  This  town  of 
Scotland  stands  near  the  junction  of  the  river  Ness  with  Moray 
Frith. 

J- 

JAN  MAYAN  ISLAND,  discovered  by  Jan  Mayan,  a  Dutch  whaling 
captain,  and  named  in  his  honor;  the  name  of  an  island  in  the 
Arctic  Ocean. 

JAVA;  immjayah;  i.  e.,  "nutmeg." 


68  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

K. 

KEY  WEST;  a  corruption  of  the  Spanish  words  cayo  hueso,  and 
sig.  "bone  islets."  The  name  has  no  reference  to  the  position  of 
the  island,  since  it  is  not  the  most  western  of  the  Florida  Keys,  but 
has  its  origin  in  the  beautifully  white  and  bone-like  appearance  of 
the  coral  formations  which  fringe  the  shore. 

L. 

LA  GRANGE;  i.  e.,  the  "barn,"  "farm-house,"  or  "country 
seat." 

LA  LAND  ;  i.  e.,  "  low  land  ;"  the  name  of  an  island  of  Denmark 
in  the  Baltic  sea. 

LA  LANDES  ;   "the  plains;"   the  name  of  a  district  of  France. 

LAMA;  i.  e.,  "  one  who  shows  the  way." 

LONDON  ;  the  word  is  supposed  to  be  of  Celtic  origin,  and  to  sig. 
"city  of  ships,"  or  "ship-town."  Some  suppose  don  or  dun  is  of 
Welsh  origin,  and  sig.  "fort." 

Los  ANGELOS,  (loce  an'-jeh-lez)  ;  i.  e.,  "the  angels;"  the  name 
of  a  town  in  California. 

M. 

MADEIRA,  Port.  Madera\  i.  e.,  "timber."  The  Madeira  River, 
an  affluent  of  the  Amazon  still  flows  through  a  dense  forest. 

MADRE  DE  DIGS  ;  i.  e.,  "  mother  of  God  ;"  the  name  of  an  ar 
chipelago  west  of  Patagonia. 

MATAMORAS;  mata — bush,  moras — mulberry;  i.e.,  "mulberry 
bush." 

MATTERHORN  ;  German  matt — meadow,  horn — peak;  i.  e.  "the 
peak  in  the  meadows." 

N. 

NETHERLANDS,  nederlanden;  i.  e.,  "the  lowlands;"  the  name 
of  a  portion  of  Europe  lying  along  the  North  Sea,  now  known  as 
Holland,  containing  the  mouths  of  the  Rhine,  Meuse,  &c.  Much 
of  the  surface  near  the  coast  is  lower  than  the  surface  of  the  sea, 
and  has  to  be  protected  from  the  ocean  by  dykes  or  embankments. 

o. 

OREGON;  so  called  by  Malte  Brun,  the  great  geographer,  in 
mistake.  Reading  on  an  old  Spanish  map,  "and  it  is  not  yet 


INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES.  69 

known  (y-aun  se  ignora)  where  the  source  of  this  river  (the  river 
now  called  the  Columbia)  is  situated,"  he  thought  he  recognized 
in  the  word  ignora,  the  name  Oregon.  Alexander  von  Humboldt 
is  quoted  as  the  authority  for  the  foregoing  statement. 

P. 

PALESTINE,  Hebraic, pe lescheth ;  i.  e.,  "philistines,"  "strangers," 
"  sojourners,"  "  wanderers." 

PALMYRA;  i.  e.,  "the  city  of  palm  trees." 

PALO  ALTO;  i.  e.,  "high  post,  stake,  or  mast;"  the  name  of  a 
battle-field  near  the  southern  boundary  of  Texas. 

PIKE'S  PEAK;  named  in  honor  of  Lieut.  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  who 
explored  much  of  the  country  west  of  Miss.,  under  President  Jef 
ferson.  He  fell  in  making  a  successful  assault  on  the  town  of  York 
in  Upper  Canada,  in  1813. 

Q- 

QUATRE  BRAS,  (kafrbra);  i.  e.,  "four  arms;"  the  name  of  a  vil 
lage  of  Belgium  situated  about  ten  miles  south-east  of  Waterloo  ;  so 
named  because,  at  this  point,  the  road  from  Brussels  to  Charleroi 
intersects  the  road  from  Namur  to  Nivelles,  producing/^;-  arms. 

R. 

RATISBON,  a  corruption  of  the  German  word  Regensburg;  i.  e., 
"  the  town  at  the  Regen  ;"  the  name  of  a  town  of  Bavaria  on  the 
Danube,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Regen. 

ROCHESTER,  rhos — moor,  castra — camp;  i.  e.,  "the  camp  on 
the  moor;"  the  name  of  a  city  of  England  on  the  Medway. 

S. 

SACRAMENTO;  i.  e.,  "the  sacrament;"  the  name  of  a  city  in 
California. 

Like  many  other  places  in  the  new  world,  explored  and  settled 
by  nations  professing  the  Catholic  religion,  the  spot  where  this  city 
stands  was,  originally,  in  all  probability,  a  missionary  station,  and 
received,  as  was  almost  the  universal  custom  with  these  stations,  a 
sacred  name. 

SAN  SALVADOR;  i.  e.,  "  holy  saviour ;"  the  name  given  by  Co 
lumbus  to  the  first  land  discovered  by  him. 

SAVANNAH;  from  the  Spanish  word  sabana — meadow,  prairie,  or 
plain. 


70  INDIAN    LOCAL    NAMES. 

SINAI;  i.  e.,  "jagged,"  or  "full  of  cliffs." 
SIGN,  ZION  ;  i.  e.,  "  the  upraised." 

SOUDAN,  Arabic,  suda  ;  i.  e.,  "blacks;"  e.  g.,  Beled-es^suda 
—"the  land  of  the  blacks." 

T. 

TEXAS.  This  name  is  taken  from  a  town  of  the  Nassomtes  In 
dians,  standing  on  the  Neches  River,  between  the  Ceries  and  the 
Sabine.  The  signification  of  the  name  is  in  obscurity.  It  may 
have  referred  to  some  insignificant  tribe  of  Indians.  Some  suggest 
it  may  have  been  derived  from  the  Spanish  word  teja,  plural  tejas, 
in  allusion  to  the  light  shed  covering  of  the  dwellings  of  the  natives. 

TRANS  ;  a  ward  of  Latin  origin  sig.  "across  "  or  "beyond  "  and 
used  as  a  prefix  to  many  local  names;  e.  g.,  Transylvania  ;  i.  e., 
"  beyond  the  woods." 

u. 

UAM  VAR  ;  i.  e.,  "great  den  "  or  "  great  cavern  ;"  the  name  of 
a  mountain  in  Perth  Co.,  Scotland.  It  derives  its  name  from  a  re 
treat  among  its  rocks  on  the  south  side  which  tradition  says  was 
formerly  inhabited  by  a  giant.  Allusion  is  made  to  this  mountain 
in  Scott's  Lady  of  the  Lake. 

V. 

VOLGA  or  WOLGA  ;  a  Sarmatian  word,  sig.  "  the  great  river." 

w. 

WARRINGTON;  possibly  from  waer-ing-ton ;  i.  e.,  "the  fortified 
enclosure,"  or  "the  fortified  town  in  the  meadow;"  the  name  of 
a  town  in  Lancaster  Co.,  England. 

Y. 

YORK;  from  Eurewic  or  Yarewic ;  i.  e.,  the  town  on  the  Eure ; 
the  name  of  a  very  old  town  in  York  Co.,  England,  standing  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ouse  river.  As  the  Ouse  is  formed  by  the  junc 
tion  of  the  Swale  and  Eure,  or  Ure,  the  probability  is  the  name 
Eure,  or  Ure,  was  formerly  applied  to  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Ouse. 

z. 

ZEE;  a  Dutch  word,  sig.  "sea  " 
ZUYDER   ZEE;    i.  e.,  "southern  sea." 


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